Brightest Day, Blackest Night
by Peonywinx
Summary: Hal Jordan's life took a swerve when his mentor was tried for war crimes, but it falls apart with personal tragedy, the appearance of the mysterious Star Sapphire, and Sinestro's declaration of war on the Green Lantern Corps. John Stewart is enlisted by the Guardians when Hal resigns from both League and Corps, but Hal finds that it's not so easy to give up the ring that chose him.
1. Memories of a Dark Day

_**A/N: I am ASHAMED. FOUR YEARS I've been promising this story, four years I've left y'all hanging. I have no excuse, except for this thing called real life. My apologies, however, to everyone who read** __Fall From Grace **and was expecting the follow up within a reasonable amount of time. I hope the length of this story makes up for the arduous wait.**_

 ** _Anyway, it's 2019 now, so let's kick this off with a bang. This is the longest Diamond Earth story to date, and while I haven't QUITE finished writing it yet, I am close enough to the end to begin posting (also, I really didn't want to keep you all waiting anymore). To new readers, welcome to Diamond Earth, my fanfiction DCU - you can check out a summary of what it's all about, how it works, and the other stories in the universe on my profile. It isn't strictly necessary to read all former stories before this (though I would recommend it because there are numerous references and allusions to events in previous fics), but the prequel oneshot_** _Fall From Grace **is a must if you wish to understand what's going on here.**_

 _ **Now, for the last bit of business before you can finally delve in: my update schedule for this story will be twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. Today is a special case - you get the prologue, and chapter one will follow tomorrow, after which we will resume with twice-weekly updates.**_

 **Disclaimer: Hal Jordan, the Green Lanterns, the Justice League, and everything related to them belong to DC Comics. This story is fan-written purely for fun and enjoyment, with no intention of monetizing the properties. Any similarities with existing official incarnations of the characters and their world are either deliberate adaptations or completely coincidental.  
**

 _ **ENJOY! And if you'd be so kind, feedback is greatly appreciated =)**_

* * *

 **TALES OF DIAMOND EARTH**

 **Brightest Day, Blackest Night**

 **Prologue: Memories of a Dark Day**

 _June 2004_

The afternoon shift (continental U.S. time) of Watchtower monitor duty was widely regarded by most of the League to be the single most boring shift in the entire duty roster. None proclaimed this view more vociferously than the Flash, who found himself having figuratively drawn the short straw for this month's schedule, which placed him primarily on the dreaded afternoon shift (though he shared some with Green Lantern, who was also working afternoon monitor duty for the rest of the month).

"I never should have mentioned that I'm working the graveyard shift at the lab this month," he grumbled to himself as he used his League comlink to remotely activate the Watchtower teleporter. The transporter beam instantly locked onto his biosignature, and a moment later he materialized on the Watchtower.

He was pleasantly surprised to find Green Lantern lounging around the monitors with a cold chicken sandwich in hand.

"Hey, Hal," he greeted jovially. "Whatcha doing here? I thought you were on duty yesterday."

The Green Lantern shrugged. "I had to get away for a while."

"Tough day?" Flash asked sympathetically, coming over to sit next to him.

"Tough week." Hal sounded weary. "Ferris Air's latest prototype fell through."

"The Peregrine? The one you said was so promising?"

"Yeah. It nearly killed Ace when he took it out for a spin; Carol's really upset, and to top it off, she's furious with me."

"With you? Why? I thought you guys were doing okay."

Hal sighed wearily. "That was before…" He stopped himself, to Flash's curiosity. "You know I still haven't told her about the ring," Hal said instead – and Flash's curiosity turned to concern, because he knew a deflection when he heard it. "Carol knows I'm hiding something, and it's a constant thorn in her side that I'm holding back something from her. And she hates it – she hasn't been completely happy with me since I joined the Corps. So when she gets angry at something, her temper also extends to me because of that issue." Hal sighed. "She also has a rather specific reason to be mad at me this time – I was supposed to be the one to test the Peregrine. I promised her months ago, when U.S.A.F first approached Ferris for a new design."

"And you weren't around because of hero activities?" Flash guessed.

"Oh, I _wish_ that was all it was." Hal's voice was despondent, ringing with heartache and pain to those who knew what to look for.

Flash had heard enough. "Hal, what's wrong?"

Hal opened his mouth, seemingly to reply, then thought better of it. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Hal…" Flash began.

"Wally, please."

Flash gave his friend a long look, and Hal knew Wally's green eyes were worried behind his cowl.

"All right," Flash relented. He wasn't happy about it, but as a person who valued his own privacy he knew he needed to respect Hal's wish for him to back off. "But whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

"I know. Thanks."

* * *

The African-American man hitched his bag higher up his shoulder as he wove his way through the streets of Detroit. It was the height of the afternoon, and not many people were out on the streets, but even so, his military buzz-cut and Marine uniform made him stand out from the regular citizens. A few paused what they were doing to observe him for a while, but most simply gave him a passing glance as they went about their business – for which he was thankful. He had never been the type who liked to draw attention to himself.

He stopped at a curb and hailed the next cab that came that way. As it happened, the driver was an old acquaintance of his.

"John Stewart," the cabbie greeted with a wide grin, turning around in his seat as the Marine hoisted his knapsack into the backseat. "It's good to see you, son."

"It's good to see you, Al," John returned with a genuine smile.

"How long you back for this time?" Al inquired as John mounted the cab.

"For good, Al." John shut the door.

* * *

Carol Ferris was not a woman who coped well with things that didn't go her way. And unfortunately for her, lately things had been going sideways with alarming frequency: first, the growing problems in her so-called relationship with one Hal Jordan; second, the fact that Hal had bailed on her for the Peregrine flight test; third, the failure of said flight test; and most recently, an argument to end all arguments between her and Hal this morning (and no, it did not escape her notice that 75% of things not going her way involved Hal Jordan).

Hal had come to apologize for leaving her stranded in the matter of the Peregrine, but Carol, with her emotional meter already at maximum capacity, had chewed him out loudly and thoroughly, bringing up issues from years ago (perhaps unfairly, but she had reached her limit). Hal, of course, had his own pride, and he'd shouted right back at her about how she didn't understand, and how he'd thought he could count on her support. The debacle had ended when Hal stormed out after Carol slapped him in the face.

In order to direct her considerable lingering fury in a more constructive way, Carol had retreated to her office and was now poring over the data in front of her with single-minded zeal. On her desk were spread design blueprints, specifications overviews, performance reports, test results, and anything else about the failed Peregrine model she had been able to get her hands on.

The disastrous failure of Ferris Air's latest flight test last week had been both a huge embarrassment to the company (the representative U.S.A.F had sent to evaluate the Peregrine's performance had had a front-row view of the entire dreadful affair) as well as near-fatal for pilot Ace Morgan, who was currently recuperating from the injuries he sustained in the crash after his seat failed to eject.

"I don't understand it," Carol muttered in frustration as she reviewed the official report from the technicians who had investigated the Peregrine after the crash.

All initial assessments of the Peregrine had been favorable, exceeding expectations even, and Carol, being the devoted perfectionist she was, was determined to figure out what went wrong and why.

"It can't have been the design, it was perfectly sound…the construction materials all passed standard safety regulations…inspection before the flight revealed nothing amiss…it _shouldn't_ have malfunctioned that way, but it _did_." Carol frowned at the reports. "What did I miss?"

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temple with the tips of her index and middle fingers. She needed a break from all the engineering evaluation, or she would go stir-crazy.

A purplish glimmer flickered at the corner of her eye, and she turned her head to study the object resting in the pencil holder on her desk. Since picking it off the street a week ago – in fact, she'd found it on the same day as the Peregrine's failed flight test – she'd been inexplicably attracted to the odd gem. It was a beautiful thing, smooth and oval with a bright pink starburst exactly in the center of the otherwise dark fuchsia stone. Carol knew she should probably take it to the police station so they could find the owner, but something about the way the gem gently radiated a feeling of power had prevented her from telling anyone about it. Carol was inquisitive by nature, and like the Peregrine, this gorgeous jewel was a puzzle she wanted to solve.

With a thoughtful shrug of her shoulders, Carol put down the pen she'd been using and picked up the gem.

Maybe a temporary change of focus to a different mystery would prove to be enlightening.

* * *

It was close to midnight by the time Hal finished his patrol of Coast City. Since the Air Force hadn't called him in for any missions tonight, he'd opted for a solo flight around his hometown, to make sure no villains were wreaking havoc as well as to clear his head after what was, as he'd told Flash, a long, difficult series of days.

After the triple blow of Hector Hammond's anti-metabeings viewpoint, Sinestro's disgrace and exile, and Ace's brush with death all on the same day, Hal's emotional state had been a wreck for the better part of a week as he struggled to come to grips with the emotional backlash from all three events. The stress of coping, coupled with the demands of his double life as a U.S.A.F fighter pilot and a Green Lantern, was taking its toll on Hal, and tonight was worse because of the massive argument he'd had with Carol. Thus, it was a weary Green Lantern who landed on Hal's front porch at five minutes to midnight.

Hal was just about to depower and go in when his ring beeped gently, indicating the presence of another Green Lantern nearby. Hal mentally prepared himself for a trying ordeal – the last time he'd been around other Corpsmen, his whole world had tilted sideways.

To his surprise, however, it was not Tomar-Re or Kilowog or anyone else Hal associated with 'official' Lantern business, but Arisia Rrab who dropped down in front of him.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Arisia, what are you doing here?" Hal asked, thoroughly confused. Though Arisia was in charge of the sector right next to Hal's, neither of them had ever ventured into the other's area before.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Arisia tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, the glow from her ring emphasizing her flawless skin and smooth curves. "None of the other Lanterns have heard from you since…"

"Unless there's a crisis, I don't really want to hear from them either," Hal said frankly. "Not till life has gone back to some semblance of normal. No offense to you or any of the Lanterns, of course – it's just…"

"I know. You need time." Arisia's tone was understanding. "Katma Tui has been appointed Green Lantern of Sector 1417," she volunteered.

"Oh." Hal wasn't sure what he was supposed to say about Sinestro's successor. Arisia sighed.

"Look, Hal…" She drew closer, until they were eye to eye, and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you're hurting, but so are we all. Sinestro was liked and respected by all of us. I know you'll need time to get over what he did, but you don't have to shut everyone out."

Her hand automatically rose to cup the side of his face, and the tension in the air abruptly increased. Arisia caught her breath as they held each other's eyes, and her lips involuntarily parted. Hal, too, could feel the attraction between them, and it was a welcome change from the dark mood that had hung over him all week. Arisia's presence as someone who knew what he was going through and who was offering the emotional support he desperately needed was also a soothing balm to his troubled soul.  
Before either of them realized what was happening, Hal had covered Arisia's lips with his own.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Chapter One tomorrow!**_


	2. Out of the Blue

_**A/N: I'm glad to see people are reading, but I am even more glad that thanks to the amazing** Alverrann **, I don't have to post this without having a single reviewer =P  
**_

* * *

 **Chapter One: Out of the Blue**

 _July 2004_

Batman looked the newcomer up and down, taking in every detail of the muscular man before him.

"I thought you retired."

"Yeah, well, I got shanghaied," was the gruff explanation.

"Shanghaied," Batman repeated.

"Exactly. Shanghaied. By two of the most stubborn women on the planet."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "As I recall, you're pretty stubborn yourself."

The other man snorted. "That I am, but there's just no telling these two _no_. I _said_ to them I wasn't getting involved anymore, but they just kept _badgering_ …"

Batman turned to look at Wonder Woman and Black Canary, who were both beaming, totally unrepentant.

"He'll be good for the team," Wonder Woman said to Batman. "He's got experience, skill, and the wisdom to make good decisions."

"Plus, he's tough as nails, and damn near impossible to kill," Black Canary put in. "And we could always use an extra Leaguer."

"Did you discuss this with Superman?" Batman wanted to know.

"He told us to check with you," Wonder Woman admitted, "but he's fine with it."

Batman returned his gaze to the man, who looked almost bored with the conversation. "Well," he said, "shanghaied or not, I don't believe even Diana and Canary could have convinced you to get back in the business if you didn't want to."

At this the man smirked. "Yeah, so maybe I'm getting bored. Watching Kent and Diana flying about doing hero stuff brings back memories of the old days. And Dinah never wastes an opportunity to tell me what I'm missing."

Batman shrugged. "You're a man who knows your own mind. I don't doubt that this is where you want to be. And your record speaks for itself."

The man rolled his eyes. "This fellow," he said, his voice taking on an exasperated tone that indicated he was familiar with bat-speech, "always talking in circles. Am I in or not?" he demanded.

Batman's expression didn't change, but there was a slight hint of amusement in his voice when he responded, "Welcome to the Justice League."

The JSA hero known as Wildcat grinned while Wonder Woman and Black Canary congratulated each other on a successful mission.

Hawkgirl spoke up from where she'd been observing the exchange. "So, this brings the number of Leaguers up to…" She made a quick count in her head. "Fifteen, right?"

"Yep," Black Canary confirmed.

"We're growing," Wonder Woman added. "We've doubled our members in the last two years."

"Princess, that's super _slow_ growth," said Hawkgirl. "If the League were a military, we'd have issued conscription orders long ago."

"But we're not, are we?" Wonder Woman pointed out sagely. She noticed Batman and Wildcat walking off to another part of the Watchtower, already deep in conversation that was out of the women's earshot. "Dinah, does it seem to you that Ted is personally acquainted with Batman? They appear to be rather familiar with each other."

Black Canary shrugged. "Ted's never been to Gotham, as far as I know – he can't be…" She trailed off, her eyes widening as she appeared to remember something. "Oh, no, that couldn't have been…no way in _hell_ …"

"What?" Hawkgirl asked curiously.

"Ted mentioned to me, once, very briefly, that he'd once trained a young man from Gotham – a moody, stubborn apprentice who insisted on pushing boundaries and questioning his methods at every turn."

Wonder Woman frowned. "So?"

"Diana, that fits the description of a young Bruce Wayne."

Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl both blinked, then their eyes grew large in comprehension.

"Oh, my," said the Amazon.

"So, let me get this straight," said Hawkgirl. "Our newest League member…trained _Batman?"_

Black Canary burst out giggling. "Oh, my God, he _did_. I never thought…Ted told me that story because he was hoping I wouldn't turn out to be as headstrong as that apprentice. I never thought he meant _Bruce_."

"So there's at least one newcomer who won't be intimidated by Batman," Hawkgirl observed.

"More than that," corrected Wonder Woman. "Aquaman is never one to be cowed, and Vixen is a feisty soul herself."

"Vixen acquitted herself very well in the mission in Africa," Hawkgirl agreed.

"It's nice to have more women on the team," Black Canary said happily. "With the three of us, Vixen, and Zatanna, the men only outnumber us two to one now."

"Speaking of men, when are you getting that husband of yours up here?" Hawkgirl inquired.

"No idea. Probably not for some time, if ever. He's quite happy being mayor and looking after Robbie and Artemis when I'm on League duty." The Queens' eight-month-old son and fifteen-year-old adopted daughter were the apples of Oliver's eyes.

"Also speaking of men…" Wonder Woman spoke up. "Hawkgirl, what do you think of the Atom?"

"Not my type."

"Seems like no one's your type," commented Black Canary. "I mean, it's pretty obvious who Diana's type is…" She and Hawkgirl smiled identical teasing grins at the expense of Wonder Woman, who rolled her eyes at yet another mention of her attraction to a certain dark knight. "…but in all the time I've known you, I've never heard you talk about a single guy you've found interesting." Her eyebrows rose as something occurred to her. "Or are you into women?"

"Hawkgirl's into women? When did this happen?" Flash appeared suddenly, fresh from beaming aboard.

 _"Yom shigureth!"_ Hawkgirl exclaimed crossly. "So what if I am?"

Wonder Woman's and Black Canary's eyes widened, and Flash's nearly popped out of his skull.

"Wait, you mean you really –?"

"No." Hawkgirl grunted. "Just because I don't flirt with men doesn't mean I'm not interested in them. Now will you get off my back?"

"Aha, so you _are_ interested!" Black Canary pounced on her slip. "So if you're not flirting, does that mean you've already got someone?" she asked archly. Wonder Woman also looked interested; all three women appeared to have forgotten Flash's presence.

Hawkgirl said nothing.

"I do not hear a denial," Wonder Woman said with a smile. She was always happy when her sisters-in-arms found good men.

"Neither do I," Canary agreed. "Come on, Shayera, spill! Is it someone we know?"

"No."

"No, we don't know him, or no, you won't spill?"

"I am not having this conversation."

Both Wonder Woman and Black Canary noticed the warning note in their fellow female's voice, so they obligingly dropped the subject.

"Well," sighed Canary, "I'll tell you one thing: you're awfully good at keeping us in suspense."

Hawkgirl's lips twitched into a small smirk.

Canary had moved back to the general topic. "I wouldn't say Atom is my type either, but I'll say this: if I wasn't happily married, I'd be ogling Aquaman every time he comes up here."

"He's married too," Wonder Woman pointed out with some amusement.

"I can still appreciate his looks, can't I?"

"Married or not, you still ogle." Hawkgirl smirked. "I'm starting to wonder if one of us ought to warn Oliver."

"Oliver has no room to talk. He was a notorious womanizer before I finally pinned him down — and he's not oblivious enough to think I haven't noticed the way he looks whenever a pretty girl walks by him."

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "Is that something to be concerned about?"

"Nah," Canary answered easily. "So long as all he does is look, I don't have a problem. Besides, he learned his lesson about that a long time ago. I trust him to do nothing more than I would." She winked.

The three women laughed as they headed for the cafeteria, leaving Flash shaking his head in bewilderment behind them.

"I wonder what else they talk about during these gossip sessions."

* * *

Hal raised his hand in a wave as he saw Ace approaching. Ace grinned and waved back, quickening his step.

One and a half months on since the Peregrine crash, Ace had fully recovered and was ready to get back to work. The investigation into the affair had found nothing amiss, and finally concluded that whatever unlikely blockage had prevented the plane from obtaining the fuel from the tank, it had been incinerated in the crash and the resulting flames. Carl Ferris had managed to salvage the contract with U.S.A.F. after substantial negotiations, and it had been back to business as usual for Ferris Air for the past three weeks.

As Ace reached the outdoor café table, Hal said, "Good to see you healthy, buddy."

Ace chuckled. "You can't get rid of me that easily," he bantered as he sat down. "I may not be U.S.A.F., but I'm a pretty fine pilot, if I do say so myself."

"You're a great pilot," Hal responded sincerely. If it hadn't been for his resourcefulness in the air, Ace might not have survived the failure of the Peregrine. "So when are you getting back to work?"

"Sometime this week, should be." Ace was about to say something else, but they both had to turn to waitress who approached them then.

"Hi, can I take your order?"

Hal asked Ace what he wanted, and Ace told him. As Hal ordered their food, Ace took the opportunity to study him. He hadn't seen much of Hal during his convalescence, but Tom Kalmaku — a mutual friend of theirs in Ferris Air — had told him about the huge row in Carol's office, and Ace had been worrying about Hal since.

Once the waitress had gone, Ace spoke up. "So, how are you, Hal?"

Hal shrugged. "I'm okay," he said lightly. "It's been a rather boring couple of weeks, to be honest. I've missed you."

Ace nodded absently, still wondering how to broach the sensitive topic. Finally, he decided to just be direct.

"How are you and Carol?" It was a frequent enough question from Ace due to the rocky nature of the pair's relationship, but in light of recent events it was more heavily weighted than ever before.

Hal gave him a long look. "Who told you?"

"Tom," replied Ace, totally unrepentant.

"I should've known." Hal shook his head. "Carol's office isn't the best place to have a fight."

"No kidding," Ace agreed. "But that was over a month ago, right? Have you guys made up yet?"

Hal sighed. "I don't think we're making up this time, Ace."

"Shit, really?" At Hal's nod, Ace muttered, "Damn. I didn't realize it was that serious – I know you missed the flight test, but…"

"It's not just the flight test, Ace." Hal rested his hands on the table. "Carol and I…we've had problems since the very beginning – as soon as one problem was solved, another one took its place. Our whole relationship has been one long series of fights with occasional peaceful breaks in between." Hal smiled humorlessly. "It had to end sometime."

"Hal, are you sure…?" Ace asked in concern. "You and Carol have known each other for eons – you've pretty much been with her since high school, even if you both have dated other people occasionally. I mean, I know you guys have problems – Lord knows, you have problems," he said wryly, "— but somehow you've always managed to work it out before. And as your friend, I have to tell you that you're throwing away what could be a really great thing."

Hal's tone was serious as he said, "Ace, trust me when I say there are obstacles – mainly on my part – which would never allow for a smooth relationship between Carol and me. After years of trying and failing to overcome those obstacles, I think it's time to let go – for my sake and Carol's. Hopefully with time, Carol can forgive me, and we can go back to being friends, like we were as kids."

"That's going to be a _very_ long time," Ace observed sympathetically.

"I live in hope," Hal quipped.

"You're sure about this?"

"Yeah." Hal exhaled. "Carol and I are over, Ace. Actually, I'm kind of already seeing someone else."

Ace stared at him. "You don't waste any time, do you?" he said, with a teasing tone.

"I wasn't _looking_ to get involved so fast," Hal defended. "It was a girl I'd known for a while, a friend – she showed up when I was down, she was supportive, and things just…happened."

Since that first night with Arisia, their connection had just sort of…progressed. Hal had to admit that part of the fun of the new relationship was the novelty of being with a non-Terran – but mostly, the reason his young romance with Arisia was already looking more solid than twelve years with Carol was the fact that he didn't have to hide anything from her.

Hal decided to change the subject. "Besides, why are we always talking about my love life, anyway? What's going on with you and Irene? You're coming up on three years now – am I going to get invited to a wedding soon?" he suggested cheekily.

"Shut up, idiot," Ace said good-naturedly.

"Oh, no, it's _my_ turn." Hal smirked. "So, when are you –"

 _BANG!_

Both Hal and Ace threw themselves out of the way of the blast that reduced their metal table to shards. Around them, the restaurant's other customers ducked as well, a few swearing, many more screaming. Hal's and Ace's eyes met across the ruins of their table.

"What the hell was that?" Ace exclaimed.

Hal shook his head, scanning the area. A shadow loomed over the ground, and he and Ace looked up to see a figured dressed in what looked like blue armor over a purple uniform, with a visored blue helmet covering their face.

"I am Doctor Polaris, and I challenge the Green Lantern!"

"Is this guy for real?" demanded Ace. He glanced back at Hal, only to find empty air. "What the – Hal?!"

Ace raised his head as far as he dared; the restaurant's customers were on their feet, dashing every which way to make their escape to another area. There was no sign of his friend.

"Hal!"

* * *

Upon hearing Doctor Polaris issue his challenge, Hal had quickly retrieved his ring from his pocket and slipped it on. Before Ace had turned to look at him, Hal had already used the ring to bend light around his body, rendering him invisible to Ace even though the other man was less than three feet away.

Hal knew very little about Doctor Polaris; the magnetism manipulator had been part of Darkseid's coalition of villains during the Parallax crisis, but he'd been recaptured by the Coast City police with Hawkgirl's help before the final battle. Hal had never encountered the man personally, and he had no idea why Polaris would want to challenge Green Lantern.

Still invisible, Hal rose into the air and flew to a spot several yards away from Doctor Polaris before opting to become visible, now as Green Lantern.

"You called, Doctor?" he said mockingly.

The visored head turned towards him, and Polaris' voice was jubilant as he spoke. "Ah, yes! The protector of Coast City! I require you to show a demonstration of my powers."

"Excuse me?"

"I will fight you, Green Lantern, and prove to all that magnetism is a force to be reckoned with!"

Hal had a brief second to wonder whether his current adversary was mentally unstable before a purple aura engulfed one of the restaurant's metal tables, causing it to rise and hurtle at him. Hal instinctively put up a simple barrier, but the impact of the table colliding against his will was jarring.

Doctor Polaris levitated more tables, and, more prepared this time, Hal encased himself in a protective bubble, letting the tables clang harmlessly off the green barrier.

At that point, Polaris revealed another weapon in his arsenal: electromagnetism. Drifting closer towards Hal, Polaris aimed his fist at him and let loose a bolt of electricity. Caught off-guard, Hal's shield wavered along with his concentration, and the electricity crashed into him. The force field that always surrounded him when he was Green Lantern prevented a lethal blow, but did nothing to avert the pain and shock of having 500 volts charge through his body. With a cry, Hal dropped like a stone.

 _"OW."_ Hal groaned as he slowly regained feeling in his extremities – feeling of the twitching, tingling kind, like there were a thousand pins and needles poking into his nerves. _Ow_ was an understatement.

Surprisingly, Doctor Polaris had not pressed his advantage, and was instead hovering in the sky waiting for Green Lantern to recover.

"Come again, Green Lantern – I have not finished my demonstration." Doctor Polaris apparently had a point to prove with this magnetism stuff. The villain raised his hands to generate more electricity; a few secondary bolts strayed in all directions, threatening to break free of Polaris' control.

As he recovered enough to pull himself to his knees, Hal noticed movement near the restaurant wall. He inhaled sharply as he recognized Ace. _What the hell are you still doing here?!_

Doctor Polaris increased the voltage of electricity, and this time a loose bolt did break away, heading straight for Ace.

Hal extended his arm, willing an energy construct to push Ace out of the way of the electricity, but his ring chose that moment to remind him that he had forgotten to charge it – by flickering and dying.

Hal didn't even have time to be horrified before the electrical energy slammed into Ace.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Next chapter comes up Friday!**_


	3. White Hot

_**A/N: Thanks to**_ _Alverrann **for reviewing! As for the rest of you reading this, it'd be great to hear from you too, after this chapter =)**_

* * *

 **Chapter Two: White Hot**

 _"ACE!"_

If willpower alone were enough, Hal's anguished cry ringing across the demolished patio would have saved Ace Morgan. Sadly, the one thing in the universe that _would_ have made his willpower enough – a Green Lantern's ring – had failed at this pivotal moment, glowing dimly with only just enough power to keep its wearer's identity secret from the villain who remained floating above the scene of the crime.

Doctor Polaris turned to stare quizzically at Green Lantern. "My, my, did you know him personally?"

Numb with shock and grief though he was, there was a blinding rage building within Hal, and he knew that, if willpower without the ring were enough, he would have killed Polaris then and there.

As it was, he had no time to react before a brilliant fuchsia beam knocked Doctor Polaris out of the air. With an outraged yell, Polaris scrambled to his feet, looking for the source of the shot.

Hovering in the air was a woman with flowing black hair, surrounded by a glowing violet aura. Her costume was a tight, low-cut dark pink leotard with long sleeves that continued seamlessly into gloves. A narrow eight-pointed star was cut out of the midriff, exposing the bare flesh of her front torso. A pair of thigh-high boots encased her long legs, and a broad, pink cat's eye mask concealed her identity and provided a frame for the radiant purple gem mounted in the middle of her forehead.

"Who the hell are you?" Doctor Polaris demanded.

"The name's Star Sapphire. However, you can just think of me as the woman who beat you."

"Never gonna happen," Polaris declared.

He prepared to fire a magnetic pulse at the woman, but Star Sapphire did something Hal had never seen anyone but a Green Lantern do: she created tentacles of pure energy – violet, like her aura – and wrapped Polaris in them. Then she conjured a cage made of the same energy and locked Polaris, still tied up, in it.

She did all this without a power ring.

Hal knew he should thank her, but all he could think about was stumbling towards Ace's body. He dropped to his knees beside his friend, having just enough presence of mind not to let his costume disappear and reveal to Star Sapphire who Green Lantern was.

Star Sapphire, meanwhile, left Polaris struggling with his bonds in his cage and stepped over to Green Lantern's grieving form.

"I'll deal with Doctor Polaris. You need to go home, wherever that is for you, and charge that ring."

Hal was too lost in sorrow to wonder how his mysterious savior knew so much about his ring. All he could do was nod automatically, eyes fixed on Ace.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Star Sapphire said solemnly. "Was he a friend?"

"Yes," Hal replied before he could think. "Yes, he was." With a shaking hand, he reached out and closed Ace's lifeless eyes.

* * *

In the Coast City S.T.A.R. Labs building, Dr. Hector Hammond compared two genetic samples taken from the latest experiments of S.T.A.R. Labs' Genetic Engineering Division. Cadmus, at the intimation of the ever-vigilant General Wade Eiling, had begun research into a possible method of neutralizing the metagene within humans, and Hammond, as their foremost geneticist, was in placed in charge of the project. However, even while he noted the effects of the prototype serum on the modified DNA samples, Hammond's mind was working on another problem: the true identity of Coast City's resident Green Lantern.

A lunch conversation with old classmate Hal Jordan had inspired a wild idea, and Hammond's home computer was at this moment using a series of complex algorithms to calculate the probability of various Coast City residents being Green Lantern. Hammond was itching to finish his work at S.T.A.R. Labs to get back and check on the results.  
With any luck, he would soon be able to update the Cadmus file that listed the known identities of the various metabeings they were tracking.

* * *

Hal sat on the floor of his living room with his shoulders hunched and his knees bent, staring blankly at the wall. After Star Sapphire left with Polaris in her custody, he had placed an anonymous call to 911. He felt bad about drawing EMS out for a man who was already dead, but he couldn't bear to call the mortuary and this way he was sure Ace's death would be managed by the proper channels (EMS would call CSI and so on). Once he'd done that, he left, heading straight for home even though he was due at Ferris Air to provide his input for the new and improved Peregrine design (U.S.A.F. had appointed him one of the main liaisons for the revised Peregrine project).

Thinking about Ferris Air reminded him that he should call Carol to inform her of what happened. Ace had been Ferris Air's best test pilot, and he'd been quite friendly with Carol as well. With seemingly great effort, Hal flipped his phone out and dialed – Carol's number was so familiar to him that he knew it by heart.

The phone rang and rang, and Hal was about to give up when Carol finally answered.

 _"You'd better be calling to tell me you're on your way."_

"Carol…"

 _"The meeting starts in five minutes, Hal. Ditching me is one thing, but ditching the Air Force? Are you trying to get fired?"_

"Carol, please just listen," Hal pleaded.

There was a cautious pause on the other end once Carol noticed how hoarse his voice was.

 _"What is it?"_ she asked.

"Ace…" Hal swallowed and, with difficulty, choked the words out. "Ace is dead, Carol."

 _"What!?"_ Carol's shock was palpable. _"That's…I don't…What happened?"_

"Can we meet somewhere? I don't want to do this over the phone."

 _"Hal, the meeting…"_

Hal exhaled, bitterly disappointed. "Right, the meeting. I guess I'll see you later, then."

It was a few seconds before Carol replied. _"Screw the meeting. I'll come to your house. That's where you are, right?"_

"Yeah." Hal wasn't surprised at how well she knew him.

 _"Give me fifteen minutes."_

* * *

Carol arrived at Hal's suburban home thirteen minutes later. The front door was unlocked, but she doubted Hal had had the presence of mind to deliberately prepare for her arrival – it was far more likely that he'd not bothered locking it when he staggered into his living room after he left Ace.

Hal was still sitting in the same position he'd been in when he called, his head sunk in his hands. Carol knew it was the same position because she knew Hal. Their relationship might have deteriorated in recent months, but she still knew him better than anyone else, and she did still care for him.

Carol also knew, without asking, that he'd seen Ace die.

"Hal." She let her handbag fall to the floor as she knelt beside him.

"We were having lunch." Hal's voice was monotonous, and he had yet to lift his head. "A supervillain attacked the restaurant…there was nothing I could do."

"Of course not," Carol said soothingly. "You're no superhero. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was." If he had charged his ring…

"Hal, it's natural for you to feel this way, but trust me, there was nothing –"

Hal finally raised his head, and Carol was taken aback to see how dull his bloodshot eyes were. "I was _there_ , Carol," he insisted. "I could have done something – I _should_ have done something. But I failed. I failed Ace, I failed you, I failed the ring…"

"Hal, you're not making sense."

Hal realized the line between his personal life and his hero life was dangerously close to disintegrating, so he pulled back. "No, I'm not," he agreed. "I'm sorry, it's just…I can't believe he's just gone."

Wordlessly, Carol wrapped her arms around him. "You need to get some rest," she murmured into his hair. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Dunno…" Although his life had been relatively normal recently, the combination of U.S.A.F. and League duties was never one that left much time for sleep, and the shock of today coupled with the lingering emotional stress of the last month had worn him down.

Carol sighed. "Come on, then."

She helped him to his feet, then led him up the stairs to his bedroom, still remembering exactly where it was though it had been at least six months since she'd spent the night. Hal didn't protest as she settled him on his bed and slipped his shoes off.

"I'm still mad at you, by the way," she informed him. "We still have issues, and we are not on good terms even if we haven't argued since that day in my office."

"Carol…thank you," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry…for everything."

Carol paused at his bedroom door, her expression softening slightly. "Call me when you wake up, okay?" she said before she left.

* * *

 _"Do you know how jealous I am of you right now?"_

John Stewart smirked at his computer screen. "Hey, I served my time. Four and a half years in Afghanistan." He shook his head at the other man's grumbling. "Quit complaining – you've got no one but yourself to blame. Who was it who wanted to play hero for your lady love and volunteered for another tour?"

 _"Apparently Simon Stagg doesn't think I'm good enough for his daughter,"_ Rex Mason groused. _"He said he'd think about letting me marry her if I spent another year on duty."_

John raised his eyebrows. "If you ask me, it sounds more like he's trying to keep you away from Sapphire rather than making you prove yourself."

 _"Yeah, I figured that out after I committed to another half-year."_ Rex sounded disgruntled. _"The only bright side is that Sapphire keeps rebuffing every suitor her father tries to send her."_

"How long more till you finish your service?"

 _"A month."_ Rex exhaled. _"One more month, then I can come home to Sapphire – and to hell with what Simon says, I'm going to marry her."_

"I wish you all the luck in the world," said John. "Simon Stagg is not a man who's easily crossed."

 _"Yeah, I know, but I didn't become a Marine because I was chicken."_ Rex looked over his shoulder; someone had apparently called his name. _"I gotta go, the boys want me to join them on sentry duty. You take care of yourself, all right? Enjoy civilian life – you've earned it."_ The screen filled with static as he terminated the connection.

"Take care, Rex," John murmured softly, saying a quick prayer for his friend on the battlefront.

* * *

When Carol returned to Ferris Air, she retreated to her office to spend a few silent minutes of private mourning. Ace had not only been her best employee, but also a friend. Carol had come to rely on him a lot once Hal started disappearing frequently. She'd been glad to hear that he'd recovered fully from the Peregrine crash, and was looking forward to having him back to work within the next week – now he wouldn't be.

"Fate is cruel," she remarked to herself. She glanced at her digital desk clock and sighed; she had a briefing with her father in ten minutes. She pulled her bag towards her and rifled through it, looking for the file she'd gone to pick up earlier – but it wasn't there.

Carol frowned as she thought back to the morning. She clearly remembered driving home to fetch it from her study drawer; however, she couldn't seem to remember actually unlocking her front door and going in to retrieve the file. Her next clear memory was Hal's phone call while she was on the way back to her office – at that time she could have sworn she'd had the file in her bag.

 _I must have too many things to do,_ she mused as she fished her keys out of her bag. With a disgruntled huff, she reached for her phone to tell her father she would be late.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I patiently await all your lovely reviews. Do let me know how you think the story is going. Next chapter out on Monday!**_


	4. A Grey Mood Under a Grey Sky

_**A/N:**_ _ ** _ **Now, I know I have at least 6 people reading this story, judging by the follows - so I hope all of y'all are reading and enjoying, even if you haven't reviewed. That said, t**_**_ _ ** _ ** _ **hanks very much to**_**_** _ _Knightwing20042__ ** _ ** _ **for reviewing! I'm really glad you like the direction the story's going, because this is only the beginning - there's a WHOLE lot more to go through.**_**_**_

 _ **Here's Chapter Three!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Three: A Grey Mood Under a Grey Sky**

When the other Founders received Hal's request for a leave of absence from the League for an undetermined length of time, they instantly gathered on the Watchtower for a meeting. The only non-Founder in the conference room was the Atom, who had been on monitor duty when Green Lantern's request was submitted to the Watchtower computer. The other non-founding members – Doctor Fate, Black Canary, Aquaman, Vixen, Wildcat, Zatara, and Zatanna – would not be informed until the remaining six of the Original Seven decided how to handle this unexpected request.

"What did the message say?" Superman asked, directing his question at Atom.

The Atom, Dr. Ray Palmer, was a highly intelligent scientist whose study of a chunk of white dwarf star matter that had landed on Earth on Christmas Eve 2002 had enabled him to fashion himself as a superhero. Normally a man of average height, he had built a suit that allowed him to shrink down to atomic sizes at will. Inspired by the Justice League, he had then applied for and received membership a couple of months ago.

"Green Lantern extended his apologies and asked for a leave of absence for an indeterminate period of time."

"He didn't say why?" Wonder Woman inquired.

"No."

"This is unlike him," J'onn commented. "He is normally quite conscientious about communicating with us."

"Do you suppose something happened?" Hawkgirl asked.

"Of course something happened. He wouldn't have asked for leave otherwise," Batman pointed out. "The question is whether we're going to press him for an explanation."

Superman frowned. "I'm sure he has his reasons for not saying."

"He's a Founder with important obligations and responsibilities within the League. If he's going to take off unexpectedly without specifying how long he'll be gone, he should tell us why."

"He's turned off his comlink," Atom reported. "I can't contact him."

"Maybe it's a Green Lantern thing," Hawkgirl suggested.

"I doubt it," said J'onn. "He's still on Earth."

"He's been distracted lately," said Batman. "You've all noticed that, haven't you?"

The other Founders nodded – all except Flash, who was uncharacteristically quiet and biting his lip thoughtfully.

"Do you know something, Flash?" asked J'onn, noticing the speedster's unusual silence.

"I know something's been bothering him, but he didn't want to talk about it. It seemed to be getting better, though."

"I think we need to find out what's going on," Superman decided. "Batman has a point – we should know why he's suddenly taking leave – but more importantly, Hal could be in trouble."

"I'll talk to him," Flash volunteered. "He's more likely to open up to me than anyone else."

With that decided, the meeting adjourned.

* * *

Tom Kalmaku came to visit Hal the day after Ace died, brimming with sympathy and grief.

"I'm sorry about Ace, Hal," he said sincerely.

"He was your friend too," Hal reminded him.

"Yeah, but I wasn't nearly as close to him as you were." Tom looked Hal up and down. "How are you holding up?"

Hal shrugged. "Okay, I guess. U.S.A.F. gave me a couple days' leave to pull myself together."

His fingers were fidgeting with a green ring; he was rolling it between his thumbs and index and middle fingers. Unlike most of the people who knew Hal, Tom knew exactly what it was – he'd walked in on Hal transforming into Green Lantern one time, and been sworn to secrecy on the matter. Right now the ring was completely dark, not even glowing a little bit.

"Didn't you charge the thing?" Tom asked before he could stop himself.

Hal's eyes became haunted. "No." Tom couldn't understand the disgust he heard in that single word.

"Hal…what's the matter?"

"Do you know why Ace died, Tom?"

Tom eyed his friend warily. "Because Doctor Polaris did what villains do?"

"No. Ace died because I forgot to charge the damn ring." Hal snorted humorlessly. "Can you believe that? I couldn't save Ace because I _forgot to charge a ring_." For a brief moment, Hal looked as though he might throw the ring on the floor, but instead he pocketed it with a sigh, deflated after his short burst of anger.

" _Crap_." Tom realized now why Hal was so miserable; if not for his overlooking this detail, he could have saved Ace – and Tom could not say anything to the contrary, because it was a brutal truth. "Even so," he said, "it wasn't your fault. Polaris killed Ace, Hal – _it was not your fault_."

Hal looked at Tom through troubled eyes. "It's gonna take me a while to believe that."

Tom clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You take all the time you need, buddy – but make sure you remember that."

Hal nodded. "I'll try." He managed a wan smile. "Thanks, Tom."

"What are friends for?" Tom smiled back. He glanced at his watch. "Listen, I gotta get to work now, but I'll be back tonight, okay? We can have pizza."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be all right."

"You sure?"

Hal shrugged. "Yeah. Don't worry about me. I'll see you at the funeral."

He saw Tom out the door and then sank into an armchair. Not five minutes later, his doorbell rang. Hal sighed as he went to answer it, and came face to face with Wally West.

"Hi," Wally offered. "Can I come in?"

Hal wordlessly stepped aside.

"We got your request," Wally said without preamble. "Are you okay?"

Hal rubbed a hand across his eyes. "I will be. I just need some time to get my conviction back."

Wally looked confused. "What conviction?"

"To be Green Lantern," explained Hal.

Wally stared at him. In all the time he'd known him, Hal had never been anything but proud to wear the ring and represent what it stood for. "Are you doubting yourself?"

"You could say that."

"Hal, what happened?" Wally asked in concern. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it," he added, remembering their conversation on the Watchtower, "but we're all worried about you, you know."

Hal resumed his seat in the armchair; Wally sat opposite him. "I don't know where to begin," he admitted.

"Start with that thing you've been avoiding telling me about," Wally suggested. "I know something happened."

Hal exhaled. "You know Sinestro?"

"He's your Corps mentor, right?"

Hal flinched. " _Was_ my Corps mentor."

Wally inhaled sharply. "Was?" he inquired warily.

"Sinestro was considered the best of all the Green Lanterns – a shining example to the entire Corps. What we didn't know was that he was oppressing his homeworld and ruling it as a dictator."

"Jeez," breathed Wally. "You had no idea?"

"Not a clue," replied Hal. "His trial and sentencing was last month. The Guardians exiled him to a planet called Qward, in the Anti-Matter universe. I was summoned to witness the trial."

Wally winced sympathetically. His original assumption was that Sinestro had been killed, but he knew that a betrayal cut worse than a death. "That must have really hurt. No wonder you were down."

"Yeah, no wonder," agreed Hal. "The trial really shook me – the idea that a Green Lantern could be corrupted by power…it was the first time I had questions about the integrity of the Corps, and of course by thinking that way I began to have questions about my own integrity as well."

"Hal…"

"It took some time, but I got through it with my willpower intact. Another Lantern, Arisia – she helped me a lot. I was just starting to feel normal again when…yesterday…Doctor Polaris attacked."

"Yeah, I heard about that. The news said there was a casualty?"

Hal's eyes became hollow. "Ace."

"Damn," Wally swore quietly. He knew how close Hal was to the other pilot. "I'm really sorry, Hal."

Hal shook his head. "That's not the worst part."

"It's _not_?"

"I could have saved him, Wally." Hal's voice was full of regret, frustration, and grief. "I could have saved him. But I forgot to charge my ring." Horrified comprehension began to dawn on Wally's face. "It died on me at the crucial moment."

"Hal, listen to me." Wally got off his chair and placed both his hands on Hal's shoulders. "Listen to me. Everyone overlooks things. Ace's death is _not_ on you – it's on Polaris."

"So people have told me." Hal sighed. "I'm not that far gone, Wally - logically, I know it's not my fault. But I haven't been able to use the ring since Polaris' attack."

Wally's eyes widened with understanding, but he let Hal continue uninterrupted.

"I need some time to regain my confidence in Green Lantern, and I'm not sure how long it's going to take."

Wally nodded. "All right, Hal. I'll tell the others." He let his arms drop from Hal's shoulders.

"I'd appreciate that." Hal paused. "Thanks for coming, Wally."

Wally smiled and unknowingly echoed Tom's words. "What are friends for?"

* * *

It was cloudy the day of Ace's funeral. Hal dug out an all-black suit he'd last worn for a previous funeral from the back of his closet and groomed himself in front of the mirror. He studied his reflection for a long minute, looking for any trace of the charming, confident, courageous Green Lantern he was trying to rediscover, before he pulled his ring out of his pocket. After a moment's consideration, he deliberately slid it onto his third finger and closed his hand into a fist, observing it carefully for any tell-tale glow.

There was none, but he slowly began reciting his oath anyway.

"In brightest day, in blackest night…"

The doorbell interrupted him, and the moment was broken. Hal regretfully placed the ring back in his pocket and made his way downstairs. Carol was waiting for him at the door; they had agreed to go to Ace's funeral together.

Carol gave him a quick once over before nodding approvingly. "You ready?" she asked.

"Let's go."

They drove to the church in silence. While their friendship had slowly begun to mend since Ace's death, there were still a lot of things they had yet to resolve. Today was not the day for that, though – today was about honoring Ace's memory. However, when Hal offered his arm to Carol at the entrance to the church, she took it unhesitatingly.

Besides himself and Carol, others at Ace's funeral included Ace's family, church mates, and girlfriend. Tom and a few other colleagues from Ferris Air were also in attendance.  
Ace had been a devout Catholic, so his funeral service was traditional and deeply religious. Hal was reminded of his own Catholic upbringing, and he remembered explaining the meaning of Christmas to several of his Green Lantern friends almost two years ago – with a pang, he recalled that Sinestro had been there that day, just as interested in the discussion as the other Lanterns. With another pang, he realized that he never had gotten back to Ace about his views on the meaning of Christmas.

 _I'm sorry, Ace,_ he apologized silently as the priest finished his prayer.

Before long, the Mass was over. Hal and Carol lingered a while to pay their respects to Ace's family, and then they left. Hal drove Carol back to his house so she could pick up her car.

Carol unlocked her car, but stopped short of getting into the driver's seat. "You know…" she said slowly, "there's a flight test next Monday – it was supposed to be Ace's first task back on the job, but…" She shrugged.

Hal knew what she was asking. He hadn't piloted anything for Ferris Air since the Peregrine incident, so this was more than just Carol asking him to replace a pilot; it was also a gesture to tell him she was willing to try trusting him again.

Hal didn't have to think twice. "I'd be happy to."

Carol nodded, then got in her car and drove off. Hal went inside his house and, after locking the door, took out his ring again.

It still wasn't glowing yet, but for the first time, he felt sure it would again eventually.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, what do y'all think? ;)**_

 _ **Chapter Four on Friday!**_


	5. Scars of a Yellow Streak

_**A/N: Yayyy! For the first time on this fic, I got TWO reviews for the last chapter instead of just one. A big thank you to WhiteWing and Alverrann for taking the time to write some reviews for me.**_

 _ **Be aware: short time skip here from the last chapter, as indicated by the italics under the title.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Scars of a Yellow Streak**

 _August 2004_

Hal parked his car by the side of the road just outside his house and switched off the headlights. As he killed the engine, he noticed that the fuel gauge was hovering close to the 'empty' symbol; he popped the glove compartment and rummaged around until he found a pen and the small notebook he always kept in there. Tearing off a page, he wrote a reminder to himself to fill the tank and stuck it on the steering wheel for him to see the next time he drove. Then he grabbed his overnight bag from the passenger seat, pulled the keys from the ignition, and clambered out of the car.

He saw the woman waiting on his front porch immediately. A smile spread across Hal's face as he pressed the button to lock his car; he was walking towards her even before the alarm beeped.

Arisia barely had time to smile in greeting before he dropped his bag and swept her up in a kiss.

"Hi," she said breathlessly when they broke apart. Hal smiled gently at her.

"Hi," he returned.

Arisia gestured at the duffle bag. "Overnight mission?"

"Of a sort," Hal agreed.

In truth, he'd merely been spending the night at Edwards Air Force Base, but Arisia didn't need to know that. She didn't understand how his day job (so to speak) worked, and he didn't want to admit that he wasn't very active as either a Green Lantern or a U.S.A.F. pilot at the moment. Arisia already knew about the Green Lantern part – she was the only Corps member who knew about the troubles he'd been having with his ring.

He bent down to kiss her again. "I missed you."

Arisia pouted. "Sorry, Lianna's 'errand' took longer than I expected."

"Mm-hm." Hal picked up his bag and moved to unlock the front door. "You coming in?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

"You had to ask?"

Hal grinned.

* * *

Hector Hammond stared at his computer screen in frustration. He'd inputted the best calculations and probabilities, mind-mapped all his ideas and available evidence, and established a coherent and fairly detailed timeline, and his algorithm had compiled a list of possible identities for the Green Lantern – but without further observations he couldn't confirm his theory.

And it was hard to make observations without a Green Lantern to observe.

"Where did you go?" Hammond mused, gazing at an image of the green-clad hero in the sky. Green Lantern had not been sighted in over a month, either in Coast City or elsewhere. He'd not even been seen with the Justice League. It was as though he had completely disappeared.

 _Maybe he died,_ a voice in Hammond's mind suggested.

He rejected the idea immediately – the Justice League would have been sure to announce a Founder's death and commemorate him publicly for the hero he was.

"Some hero," Hammond muttered. If Green Lantern hadn't perished, the next most likely explanation for his disappearance was that he'd decided to stop being Green Lantern. Why he would do such a thing was beyond Hammond's comprehension – hadn't those heroes all said, multiple times, that they were here to protect people? Even Hal had said something along those lines in defense of the Justice League.

Sighing, Hammond closed the image of Green Lantern and clicked on another file. Research for Cadmus, it seemed, never ended. Despite the lack of a Green Lantern for him to study, there was still plenty else for him to do. In the absence of Coast City's regular protector, another, hitherto unknown metabeing had stepped up. As he was a loyal Cadmus official based in Coast City, Waller had put Hammond in charge of finding out about this Star Sapphire person.

 _As if I don't have enough to do already,_ he groused. Sometimes he felt utterly underappreciated.

"All right, let's see…" Hammond scrolled down his in-progress report on Star Sapphire and her activities. She had truly risen to the occasion where crime-fighting was concerned. Despite only being around for about a month, she was effective and efficient, displaying none of the growing pains that Green Lantern had undergone when he first appeared and generally taking to the hero business like a seasoned pro. She popped up everywhere, stopping robberies, preventing murders, and even dealing with the occasional supervillain – often much more quickly than Green Lantern would have.

Despite that, her behavior was somewhat inconsistent. Sometimes she would quickly and efficiently neutralize the criminals she encountered without causing undue harm, while at other times she might rough them up a bit before she dropped them off at the police station. It was as if she couldn't decide how hard she wanted to be in her vigilantism. However, she did seem to be leaning increasingly towards somewhat more ruthless methods than Green Lantern, making herself more similar to Batman or Green Arrow (while he'd been active – Cadmus had not heard about him for some time either) than their shinier, more principled colleagues, though her powers were very much like Green Lantern's own.

Indeed, it was rather curious just how similar Star Sapphire's abilities were to Green Lantern's. Though their energy was different in color, Star Sapphire had proven that she wielded hers with as much proficiency and creativity as Green Lantern did, and the scope of what she could do mimicked her predecessor very closely. Hammond had voiced his opinion that the two derived their powers from related, if not the same, sources, but as usual, no one paid much attention to him. General Eiling was the only one who actually took him seriously, but Waller was more interested in finding out whether Star Sapphire was a threat.

Waller's definition of 'threat' meant that a metabeing veered more towards the criminal side of the law rather than the vigilantism side; in Hammond's mind, however, all metabeings were a threat.

 _Oh, when I work my way up…_ Waller wouldn't be in charge of Cadmus forever, and Hammond had designs on attaining a higher position within the organization.

He just hoped, for the sake of ordinary people like himself, that the metabeing threat wouldn't detonate in their faces before that happened.

* * *

Hal and Arisia lay side by side, both panting from the exertion of their lovemaking. Arisia's head was resting on Hal's bare chest, and she brought her fingers up to trace the scar over his left bicep.

"You never told me how you got this," she said.

Hal's chest rumbled beneath her as he exhaled. "It's not something I like to remember."

"It's very faint," she noted, working her fingers around the thin, almost invisible line. "You must have been very young when you received it."

"I was."

Arisia rolled off him and propped her head against her hand, pulling the covers further up over herself. "Tell me?" she requested softly. "I want to know you, Hal. I've told you all about my past."

Hal shifted towards his side so he could look at her better. Arisia's golden eyes were entreating.

"When I was six years old, I watched my father die," he told her. "He was flying a plane, and it crashed while I watched. A piece of shrapnel from the explosion hit me in my arm. I've carried that scar ever since."

Arisia inhaled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Hal. "It was a long time ago. Of course, at the time, I thought it was the end of the world; my worst fear – my father dying – had been realized, and I was just a tiny kid. But in time, I learned to deal with it and move on, and I signed up with the Air Force to honor my father's legacy. We both loved flying, and it seemed like the best way to keep his memory alive."

Arisia contemplated that in silence for a moment. While he waited for her response, Hal covered her free hand with his and stroked it with his thumb.

"You were six years old when you were faced with your greatest fear," she said slowly.

"Yes."

"And you conquered it at what age?"

Hal shrugged. "I guess I must have been ten or so when I was able to let it go and accept that my fears don't define me."

"Hal." Arisia's voice was awed. "You faced your greatest fear when you were six years of age. You conquered it when you were ten years old. Don't you see?" she pleaded. "That's why you're such a great Green Lantern."

Hal's thumb stopped stroking her hand. "Arisia…"

"How can you not believe you're fit to wear the ring when you learned to overcome fear at an age when most Green Lanterns do not even understand what it is?"

Hal's grip on her hand tightened. "It's not that simple, Arisia. I've been trying, since Ace – but I still haven't managed to find that belief that drove me when I first donned the ring. I think part of it is because of what Sinestro did, too – I was shaky even before Ace died, and –"

"Harold Jordan, do not give me pathetic excuses." Arisia pulled away and sat up in the bed. "You were a magnificent Green Lantern, and it is perfectly within your ability to be so again."

"I know. I just need _time_ …"

"You have had more than a month." Arisia's brow furrowed. "The other Lanterns are asking where you are, you know – they understand why you'd rather keep away from Oa, even now, but they've noticed the lack of your presence in your sector. I can't keep covering for you."

"I didn't ask you to," Hal exclaimed.

"You didn't have to," she retorted. "As the Lantern of Sector 2815, everyone expects me to be more knowledgeable about your doings by virtue of our being neighbors. Naturally they ask me about you. I haven't told anyone about your troubles because I know what they would do. They would be duty-bound to tell the Guardians and someone else would be appointed to replace you as the Green Lantern of your sector if you are unable to carry out your responsibilities."

"Maybe they should," said Hal. "Like you said, it's been a month, and I still only manage to get a faint glow out of the ring. Maybe being a Green Lantern is just not for me anymore."

Arisia gave him a long, scrutinizing look.

"I refuse to believe that," she said with conviction. "If you had the capability to conquer fear as a child, you have the ability to do so again now, as an adult. You're just afraid to do it because becoming Green Lantern again means you risk losing more than you already have."

"Is that so unreasonable?" Hal demanded.

"It is if you let it get in the way of your responsibility to the people you swore to protect." Arisia swung herself off the bed and began pulling on her clothes. Hal made an exasperated noise.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving. I'm going back to Oa. There's no need to get up – I'll see myself out."

"Arisia," Hal groaned in frustration.

"I think you have forgotten what it means to be a Green Lantern," Arisia told him curtly as she laced up her boots. "The Hal Jordan I respected and admired is not the same Hal Jordan I have been sleeping with." She paused at the doorway to deliver her final word. "I would very much like it if you could find him again."

Then she left, leaving Hal staring forlornly at the dim ring on his bedside table.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter today, but at least the next one's posting soon.**_

 _ **By the way, as I mentioned when I first published this story, I'm still working on finishing up the final few chapters. At present, on the current update schedule, I have enough to keep this going till the end of March, by which time I aim to have completed the story so there doesn't have to be a lull in updates (I hate when that happens). That said, you know what's a great way to ensure I finish the story in time? Yup - a few words of encouragement would do wonders for my writing speed (no joke, it's happened before). So, if you have the time, I'd love to hear from you.**_

 _ **See y'all Monday!**_


	6. Rivers of Red

_**A/N: Thanks to Alverrann again for reviewing, again. You're the best!**_

 _ **Since this story has been cooking for literally four years, I'm a lot more familiar with GL lore now than these earlier chapters might reflect. I've been making certain edits to the story as I've been proofreading; this is one chapter which, while it didn't change all that much, definitely has more nuance now than it did before.  
**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Rivers of Red**

Wally was used to working nights for the League and for the CKPD, but that did not mean he didn't enjoy his sleep. He did not like it when someone unexpectedly interrupted his precious slumber, and he especially didn't like it when they knocked on his apartment door in the middle of one of his rare nights to himself.

"Oh, good grief," he moaned to himself as he swung his legs out of bed and blearily noted the time. "Just once," he muttered, as he made his way to the living room. "Just _once_ why can't I have a full night's sleep?"

He pulled open the door and was astonished to see who was out there. "Hal? What the –"

"Can I come in?" Hal looked lost and in need of a friend, and regardless of the fact that it was two-thirty in the morning Wally _was_ that friend.

"Yeah, sure, come on. You want coffee?" he offered as he shut the door.

"No, thanks."

"Just for me, then. Let me make a cup – it'll only take a second – so I can wake up and listen to you properly."

In literally one second, the sleepy Scarlet Speedster had whipped up his espresso and was sitting opposite Hal in his small living room.

"How did you even get here?" Wally wondered. "Last time we spoke you still hadn't managed to get your ring working. Don't tell me you _drove_ from California to Missouri in the dead of night."

"No, I've been able to fly for about a week now," Hal admitted, examining the weak glow of the ring on his finger. "But I still can't make any constructs."

"Oh." Wally stifled a yawn and took a sip of coffee. "So, what's the matter?"

"How did you do it?" Hal blurted.

Wally was bewildered. "How did I do what?"

"How did you pull yourself back together after your uncle died?"

Wally winced; even after more than a year, it was still a sore subject. "I'm not sure what that has to do with –"

"I can't use the ring, Wally," Hal burst out. "I can't be Green Lantern, I can't help people, I seem to piss off every woman around me – it feels like I've taken giant steps backwards. I feel like I have no idea who I am anymore."

"You're Hal Jordan," Wally said simply. "You're Green Lantern, a Founder of the Justice League, and my best friend."

Hal managed a small wry grin. "I thought that title belonged to Nightwing?"

" _One_ of my best friends, then." Wally waved a hand dismissively. "That's not the point."

"No, it's not." Hal shook his head, solemn once more. "What do I do, Wally?" he asked in a small voice. "How do you move on from the loss of someone so close but still find it within yourself to believe in good and justice?"

Wally exhaled. "You stop dwelling on the loss and look around at all the other people you've managed to save. You look at the people around you who believe in and are fighting for the same cause you are. You accept that when there's so many honorable and admirable people who believe in you, then you must be good enough to keep fighting with them."

Hal blinked. "You really had that hard of a time after your uncle died?"

"Maybe not quite as bad as you've had it," Wally conceded, "but the principle was the same. I still needed people to believe in me and to be my emotional support, and I was lucky enough to have folks like you and Linda and Dick to help me through the grieving period."

Hal looked up. "Me?"

Wally rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you."

Hal smiled, this time a real, proper smile. "Thank you, Wally."

"Anytime. Hey, look, your ring's glowing." Wally pointed; Hal snapped his gaze to his ring, but instead of being happy that it was working again, like Wally expected, he looked dismayed. "That's good, right?" Wally said uncertainly.

"That's not me," said Hal with growing apprehension. "That's a distress signal from Oa." His eyes widened in horror. _"Arisia."_ She'd said she was going back there. "I have to go." He stood up abruptly, his Green Lantern uniform appearing over his clothes.

"Hal, wait!" Wally exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "How are you going to help without a properly functioning ring?"

Hal experimentally curled his fingers into a fist; the glow of his ring intensified as he created a simple tentacle of green energy – his first construct in over a month. He whipped it back and forth to test his control; it obeyed him perfectly.

"Looks like it _is_ functioning."

"Just like that?" Wally was amazed.

Hal only spared a few seconds thought before answering, "I guess I just needed a big enough reason to use it again."

Without another word, he said goodbye to Wally with a quick glance, then he used the tentacle to open Wally's window and flew out into the night.

* * *

The warning beeping of his ring became more frenzied the closer Hal got to Oa. He was developing an extremely bad feeling about this unprecedented distress call, so much so that he was pushing himself to travel faster through space than he ever had before. Between his intense worry for Arisia and his single-minded drive to reach Oa before it was too late, Hal's mind had no place for the doubts that had been plaguing him for the past two months, and thus he was able and willing to make full use of his ring.

Hal's intuition turned out to be erroneous. The situation was not bad; it was _horrific_. There appeared to be chaos everywhere he looked. The normal, natural green of Oa had been overtaken by the blazing yellows and oranges of fire and the dirty brown cracks in the ground; the very sky was dark and overcast, though it was the middle of the Oan day. Many of Oa's proud and majestic towers and buildings had been reduced to smoking and broken ruins. Hundreds of Green Lanterns hovered in Oa's atmosphere, trading both physical and energy blows with numerous humanoids in orange and gold uniforms, who wielded what appeared to be yellow lightning bolts to deadly effect. Hal's gut tightened when he saw how many Corps members' bodies littered the ravaged Oan landscape. The remaining Green Lanterns who were not dead or fighting were working near the ground to save the Oan civilians and protect them from the battle raging above.

One of the lightning-wielding humanoids saw Hal and attacked, and Hal saw that they were really human but for some minor differences. He also discovered, after his assailant flung a bolt that so thoroughly disintegrated a pillar behind him, that the lightning was in fact anti-matter. This was quickly followed by the realization that the anti-matter weapons were qwa-bolts and the attacking force were the Thunderers of Qward, the fierce and lethal warriors of the anti-matter planet Qward and some of the greatest enemies of the Green Lantern Corps. Hal had never personally fought a Thunderer, but other Lanterns had related tales of war and bloodshed dating from the last time the two factions crossed paths.

Hal blocked the next strike from the Thunderer attacking him, and then molded his shield into a large hammer, which he used to slam his opponent out of the air.

 _I have to get to the courtyard._

Whatever was going on, he knew the center of it would be in the courtyard of the Guardians. He took out several more Thunderers on his way to the courtyard in the center of the capitol, squashing the guilt he was feeling over not having kept abreast of happenings on Oa. He saw no sign of Arisia anywhere – she surely would have reached Oa by now – but he pushed that aside as well. The most important thing at the moment was to get to the courtyard; too much was at stake, and he could not afford to let his personal emotions distract him now.

The Guardians' outdoor courtyard was in shambles. As Hal had expected, the six Guardians were there, surrounded by a ring of some of the most experienced Lanterns, including Tomar-Re, Kilowog, Salaak, Hannu, Galius Zed and even – to Hal's surprise – Katma Tui. The chair of the fallen Guardian Krona was no longer the only demolished chair – the other six chairs were also damaged; the once immaculate tiles of the mosaic in the pavement had been smashed.

And hovering in the air above them, flanked by several Thunderers of Qward, was Thaal Sinestro.

Hal almost dropped to the ground in shock. Sinestro was wearing a yellow version of his former Green Lantern uniform, and was glowing with a bright yellow aura that to Hal looked excruciatingly wrong on the once-great Corpsman. The source of the foreign color was obviously due to the yellow power ring nestled on the finger where Sinestro's Green Lantern ring had once been, and Hal felt sick to his stomach when he recalled that yellow was the color of fear. The expression on Sinestro's face was a facsimile of the anger and resentment he'd shown on the day of his trial, sharpened by spitefulness and bitterness caused by his banishment.

"Sinestro!" Katma Tui was yelling in fury. "How dare you! Was Korugar not enough?"

"How dare _I_?" Sinestro raged. "How dare _you_? I sought to _help_ Korugar, to _improve_ it – but you defied me at every turn, and now you have even taken my place in the Corps!"

"You have betrayed us, Sinestro!" The lack of the Guardians' typical apathy was evident in Ranakar's angry accusation.

"You betrayed me first," Sinestro retorted. "Now suffer the consequences."

Hal decided to intervene. "Sinestro!"

His former mentor looked up and noticed him for the first time, his face twisting with scorn. "Jordan," he hissed. "Have you come to fight me?"

"I don't want to. Sinestro, just leave and don't come back," Hal pleaded. "Go back to Qward."

"Never," Sinestro hissed. "It's become clear to me that the Green Lantern Corps has lost its way – instead of enforcing order and control, you have allowed chaos to intrude by your misjudgment and inaction."

"And do you think yourself to be the one to solve these problems?" Ganthet demanded.

"I _am_ the one!" Sinestro seethed. "I brought perfect order to Korugar and to Sector 1417. But you banished me for it! The time has come for me to reinvent the corps and lead it into a new era, for the good of the universe."

"Sinestro, you're killing people!" Hal exclaimed. "Green Lanterns – your _friends_ – are dying!"

"They are not my friends," Sinestro said coldly. "They insist on following the Guardians so blindly, they are as corrupt as the Guardians themselves. I must bring justice." Sinestro's piercing gaze bore into his former protégé. "You stood against me at my trial, Jordan. I have not forgotten nor forgiven that. You fought so hard for Earth when Parallax invaded, spoke so much of your ideals for justice and peace – I expected you, of all people, to support me."

"Sinestro…"

"You were one of only two Green Lanterns I had ever considered my friend, Jordan." There was an unexpected layer of sincerity in the fallen Lantern's voice, hidden beneath the anger and contempt. "That means something to me, so I am giving you a choice. For the sake of our previous friendship, I will give you one chance to join me." His eyes met Hal's, burning with intent. "Join me, Jordan, and we can remold the Corps together, you and I. We can be great together."

Hal stared at him, unable to believe that Sinestro thought he would agree to the subjugation of the entire Green Lantern Corps. "No. This is _wrong_ , Sinestro."

Sinestro's face contorted into an ugly glare. "Then your second betrayal will be your last. Die with the rest of the Lanterns, Hal Jordan."

"Not if I stop you." Hal assumed a fighting stance, ring at the ready. Sinestro barked a laugh.

"Your ring will not harm me, Jordan," he said derisively, raising his left fist to give Hal a clearer view of the yellow band on his finger. "The Weaponers of Qward fashioned this from the same impurity that restricts the power of green will. The Guardians were so cautious – so afraid of fear," he scoffed, "that they never stopped to think of the power it could wield. They told us that will is the most powerful force in the universe, but they are wrong." His ring blazed yellow. "Fear is the most powerful force, and I am the master of fear."

Hal created a cannon construct and shot a volley at Sinestro, but it dissipated before it reached him. Sinestro smirked.

"You're the same as ever, Jordan. You still don't listen. And today is the day you pay for your insolence."

Without further delay, Sinestro gave the order for the Thunderers of Qward to commence their attack on the Guardians. Hal dove at Sinestro at the same time his fellow Green Lanterns erected a shield around the Guardians.

Around them, the sky roiled with green and yellow flashes and anti-matter lightning, and all over Oa, blood ran in rivers.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thus begins the war.**_

 _ **Reviews make me happy! See y'all on Friday!**_


	7. Scorched Brown

_**A/N: I'm slightly sad, because I got no reviews on the last chapter.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Scorched Brown**

Kent Nelson was awoken from his sleep at the ungodly hour of five in the morning by a definite, inescapable realization that something was wrong somewhere. Although he had never fancied himself as any great fortune-teller — that was an art best left to his esteemed colleague, Madame Xanadu — as one of Earth's most powerful mystics, Kent was closely attuned to the forces of the universe, and on occasion, he was able to sense great disturbances in the balance of these forces.

Inza had awoken at the same time her husband did, having been married to him long enough to realize what it meant when he unexpectedly woke up in the middle of the night.

"What is it, my love?" she inquired calmly.

"I'm not entirely certain," Kent admitted. "However, I sense that there is a war occurring."

Inza's brow furrowed. "A war?"

"Nowhere near us, dearest," Kent assured her. "Not on Earth, in fact. The conflict is far, far away."

"Hmm." Inza yawned. "Then what does it have to do with us?" She was ready to go back to sleep.

"Perhaps nothing," Kent conceded, as his wife snuggled back under the covers. It was summer, but Salem was fairly far north and yesterday had been unusually cool.

Inza was fast asleep almost instantly, and Kent pondered his sense of disturbance for only a few seconds more before he too dove back under the sheets.

Sorcerer or not, not all battles were his to fight.

* * *

Hal ducked a would-be lethal blow from Sinestro's yellow sword, before trying and failing once again to touch his former mentor with his own weapon construct. As in his previous three attempts, the green blade simply disintegrated before it got within two feet of Sinestro's aura. Hal gave a frustrated cry and flew out of the way of Sinestro's next swipe.

"Surely even you can see that it is pointless to keep fighting against me?" Sinestro scoffed. "Your ring is useless against the power of fear. Surrender, Jordan, and your punishment will be less painful."

Instead of replying, Hal used his ring to pick up a piece of debris and flung it at Sinestro, feeling a grim satisfaction as it collided with the shield Sinestro hastily erected. His energy constructs might not be able to attack the yellow Lantern, but he could certainly use them to propel other objects that could.

Exerting his will once more, Hal lifted several more large bits of debris and used the ring's energy to fashion them into a makeshift prison for Sinestro, enclosing the yellow Lantern within fragments the Qwardians had broken off Oan buildings in their attack. With a solid barrier between Sinestro and the ring's energy, Hal was gratified to find that he was able to maintain the green will holding the debris in place.

Hal was just figuring out how to neutralize Sinestro when the latter broke free of his ad hoc containment unit with a burst of yellow. Hal's green energy was instantly nullified as Sinestro's power made contact with it, and the debris fell to the ground.

"I tire of this, Jordan," Sinestro thundered. He created a yellow gun and fired it at Hal; Hal, too slow to avoid it completely, hissed in pain as the bullet grazed his thigh. Sinestro paused to contemplate his new weapon.

"Your Earth weapon is crude," he noted, "but effective."

Hal knew what was coming next. Aware that he wouldn't be able to shield himself, he put his U.S.A.F. training to good use and relied on his reflexes to dodge the hail of bullets from Sinestro's gun. Despite his best efforts, however, two more bullets clipped him, one in the shoulder and one in his side. Now bleeding profusely, if superficially, Hal blasted a hole through a tower that was still half intact and sought refuge in the building.

 _He's too strong,_ Hal thought in despair as he extinguished his green aura in order to prevent Sinestro from locating him. Not for the first time, he wondered how a Green Lantern as great as Sinestro had fallen to this level.

"I never saw you as a coward, Jordan," came Sinestro's voice from somewhere beyond the room. "Reckless and impatient, yes — but now I can feel your fear…fear that I've never sensed in you before. What happened to you?" Sinestro sounded mildly curious, but what had always been bluntness was now malice, clear in his tone.

And he was getting closer.

 _I need a different plan._

Making sure that he was well hidden, Hal waited until he could see the yellow glow of Sinestro's searchlight — then he lunged forward and bowled into the Korugarian. The force and suddenness of his assault startled Sinestro enough that Hal was able to knock him to the floor.

Sinestro recovered quickly, however — his left, ring-bearing hand pushed against the wall with yellow energy to put some distance between him and his former protégé. At the same time, he closed his right hand into a fist and punched Hal.

Pain exploded in Hal's head, but he refused to let go, and Sinestro's energy propulsion sent them both skidding across the floor, crashing through a reinforced glass window, and plummeting to the ground.

Sinestro swore and twisted violently in Hal's grip. Hal was forced to let go in order to reactivate his power ring, and both Lanterns pulled out of their combined dive in streaks of green and yellow. Hal hovered in the air, trickling blood from his bullet wounds, fully aware in that split second of how dire his situation was. On solid ground, he had some chance against Sinestro without his ring — he'd always been better at hand-to-hand combat — but in the air, he had no choice but to use his ring's power, which was useless against Sinestro.

Hal was nothing if not stubborn, though — he would give it all he had, regardless of how ineffective it may prove to be. With a roar, he charged at Sinestro, who swept aside his attempts at projectiles easily and caught him in an energy chokehold.

"Goodbye, Jordan," Sinestro said impassively as Hal gasped for air.

Out of nowhere, Arisia appeared, careening in from behind Sinestro and startling him to such an extent that she was able to snatch his yellow power ring from his outstretched hand. She was none too gentle about it, either; Sinestro roared in pain as her rough maneuver broke two of his fingers.

Without the ring, gravity pulled on Sinestro; and touching the source of yellow energy negated Arisia's own power ring, and she too was unable to stay afloat. Hal didn't hesitate; he dove to catch Arisia, choosing to leave Sinestro to his fate.

However, he'd forgotten about the Thunderers of Qward — who appeared to be Sinestro's allies in more than name. One of them caught the falling Yellow Lantern — and Sinestro, ever quick, grabbed a qwa-bolt from the quiver on the Thunderer's back. Spitefully, he hurled it at Hal and Arisia.

There was no time to react before the bolt slammed into them, sending them reeling to the ground.

* * *

When Hal came to, he was amazed to discover that he wasn't dead. Qwa-bolts were lethal in most cases, and a direct hit like he'd taken was always fatal. Although theoretically Green Lanterns could do anything with their ring, none so far had proved to have enough willpower to withstand an anti-matter attack on such a scale. Hal had a very brief moment of self-congratulations when he realized that his survival meant he had that amazing strength of will. It seemed his period of weakness was over.

Then his mind caught up with his thoughts, and he remembered that Arisia had also been hit — and with her aura neutralized, she would have had no defence against the qwa-bolt, even if her will had proved strong enough.

It was at this exact point that Hal registered the still-warm form on top of him.

 _"No…"_ His voice was begging, pleading with whatever God existed not to take another person he cared about, but in his heart he already knew it was pointless.

He gently pushed Arisia off him and checked for a pulse, feeling something break in him when there wasn't one to be found.

"No, _please_ …" He scrabbled frantically to reposition his fingers, thinking that maybe he'd find the right place to feel the life-giving throb — if his hand could just stop _shaking_ …

"Arisia, stay with me," he entreated, refusing to acknowledge her death, even though the tears filling his eyes meant that his body knew what his mind would not accept. He gave up looking for a nonexistent pulse and cradled her face in his hands, brushing her hair away, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs — anything to elicit some reaction.

"Stay with me, don't go — you're right, I need to find myself again, but I need you to help me — I can't do it on my own, Arisia — please, _stay_ —"

He choked, unable to continue what he knew to be a hopeless plea, and buried his face in her shoulder.

"I'm _sorry_ ," he sobbed to her deaf ears. "I'm sorry — I'm so, so sorry…"

It was several minutes before Kilowog found him. The normally gruff lines on the large Bolovaxian's face softened in grief and sympathy at the sight of Hal crying over Arisia. Kilowog might not have known the extent of their relationship, but it was plain that the only human Green Lantern had cared deeply for the dead woman in his arms.

Kilowog cleared his throat. "Jordan — are you hurt?" He'd seen the alarming amount of blood covering the other male.

Hal shook his head. "It's nothing."

"You're still bleeding. That's not 'nothing'. Here." Kilowog pulled some self-adapting bandages from the small first-aid kit he had with him and slapped them over Hal's three bullet wounds and a cut on his forehead. Hal would still need proper medical attention, but the bandages would serve well enough as a quick fix-it.

"Thanks," Hal said numbly. He had yet to actually look at Kilowog.

Satisfied that Hal wasn't about to faint from blood loss, Kilowog stood up. "Come on, poozer, we need to regroup."

"What is there to regroup for?" Hal asked bitterly. "What's the point? Sinestro'll take over, and there's nothing we can do to stop him."

"Sinestro ran away," Kilowog informed him bluntly.

"What?"

"Katma saw him leave. I don't know what happened, but he retreated, and the Thunderers went with him."

A memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago nudged through the haze of his grief, and Hal remembered what Arisia had done just before she died.

"Arisia —"

"There's nothing we can do for her now," Kilowog said sadly.

"No — she did it," Hal explained. "She stopped Sinestro. She snatched his ring from his finger."

His hand reached for Arisia's clenched fingers. Gently, almost reverently, he pulled the yellow ring from her grasp and held it up.

Kilowog whistled, impressed. "She did good," was his simple statement.

"Yeah." Hal was surprised his voice didn't break. He stared at the dim yellow ring and felt an irrational urge to crush it into dust. However, he knew the Guardians would want it, to see how they could adapt the Corps' power rings to fight it — and besides, he wouldn't be able to destroy it with his bare hands anyway.

"Come on," said Kilowog. "The Guardians have ordered every remaining Green Lantern to the courtyard. Ring or no ring, you know Sinestro will be back."

"I'm not leaving Arisia here," Hal insisted stubbornly.

"Then bring her along."

* * *

"We have suffered a terrible tragedy."

Hal thought resentfully that that was an understatement of epically massive proportions. Of the nearly four thousand beings in the Green Lantern Corps — all of whom had flown to Oa to participate in the battle — little more than half had survived the bloody day. Most had died valiantly, fighting against Thunderers to the very last, but some had not even had a chance to defend themselves — to say nothing of the hundreds of Oan civilians who had also perished. Of the Corpsmen who had survived, none had escaped without injuries. A full third of the city had been damaged beyond repair, and another third required heavy reconstruction. It was nothing short of a miracle that all six Guardians had survived unscathed — this was mostly due to the heroic efforts of the Lanterns who had protected them, at great cost to themselves. Hannu, Galius Zed, and Tomar-Re were among those who had sacrificed their lives to save the Guardians.

"It's been a horrible day and night," Ganthet continued. The Head Guardian did not normally look youthful, but now he seemed more ancient than ever. "I commend each and every one of you for your courage and strength in fighting against this attack. Know that we share your sorrow for those who have fallen."

The assemblage of bruised and battered Green Lanterns bowed their heads in acknowledgment, and Ranakar picked up from Ganthet.

"Despite all that has happened, we still have a duty — to the Corps, to the galaxy, to the beings we protect." The Guardian's normally apathetic eyes flashed with fire and fury. "We are beaten, but not broken. We will rise from the ashes of this day, we will rebuild, and we will bring Thaal Sinestro to justice."

Lianna said, "We have the ring he used to wreak such havoc. Without it, Sinestro will be delayed for some time. We will use this respite to find a way to work around the power of yellow fear, and when he comes again, we will be ready. We will _not_ give in to fear."

"You are the Green Lantern Corps," Ganthet continued. "You have given much this day, but now I ask for more. I ask for your commitment, your heroism, your bravery, your power, your will — and together, we will move on past this."

Hal had to admit, it was a pretty speech — and it seemed to be working, bolstering the worn spirits of the Green Lanterns and injecting new resolve into them. Hal, however, was completely numb to the rousing effects of the Guardians' carefully chosen words. Everything he had been through in the past few months had changed him; it was as if a veil had been lifted. He could see how the Guardians themselves were barely holding it together, even if they were too proud to admit it; he saw how utterly clueless they were about how to progress from here, how helpless that made them feel, and how strongly they resented that; he saw how many of his fellow Lanterns could not wholeheartedly believe in the idea of a better tomorrow after the horrors of this battle, and how they clung to every word the Guardians said like a lifeline.

And for most of them, they probably _would_ work it out. The Guardians would pull themselves together sooner rather than later — they'd retrieve their composure, their superiority, and come up with a plan. They would find new Green Lanterns to replace those who had died, and the Lanterns themselves would eventually recover, moving on past this tragedy once enough time had passed and they had found their purpose again. They would, because Green Lanterns had strength of mind, heart, and will.

Hal, however, knew he was done. He was not the same person Abin Sur had made his successor, and he knew he was no longer fit to be a Green Lantern.

Hal Jordan was broken.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I've been wondering whether I should move this fic to the crossover category between** Justice League __**and** Green Lantern **, rather than just the former. What do you think? Sound off in the reviews!**_

 _ **Next chapter up on Monday!**_


	8. Pink Slip

_**A/N: Hello again! I'm very pleased to thank the awesome Alverrann for reviewing again =)**_

 _ **Bit of background going into this chapter, especially for those of you familiar with GL lore but not my Diamond Earth universe. It's been established in the comics that power rings seek out their own replacements when their Green Lanterns die, and usually latch on to the closest worthy sentient. In Diamond Earth, it's a bit different, as you'll see in this chapter and the next.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Pink Slip**

After some semblance of order had been re-established and a rough rotating system of duties had been put into place, Hal sought out the Guardians for a private audience. The six diminutive beings had taken refuge in the Hall of the Guardians — which had survived the attack mostly intact — and were even now putting their considerable combined intellect and wisdom together to work out a plan of action.

Hal hated that he'd have to tell them he wouldn't be part of this plan, but he had never been a coward, and if he was going to bail out after such a catastrophe he would at least grant them the courtesy of informing them properly.

A voice that sounded painfully like Arisia said in his head, _But aren't you being cowardly by running from your responsibilities as a Green Lantern?_

Hal forcefully expelled the thought. Arisia was gone. The one person who might possibly have managed to help him out of the hole he found himself in was dead because of his inability to fight the man who killed her. Just like Ace.

Hal couldn't lose anymore friends.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the Hall.

Lianna noticed him at once. "Jordan, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to commend you for your efforts against Sinestro. I know it can't have been easy for you to fight against your mentor."

Hal blinked, thrown by Lianna's straightforward praise. He'd never been complimented by a Guardian before, and two months ago he would have been exhilarated by Lianna's words. Now, however, they made him feel incredibly guilty.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Do you have something to report?" Ranakar was not as brusque as he might have been, but Hal could guarantee that would change.

"Not exactly." Hal exhaled. "I have something I need to say, and I don't think you'll like it."

Herupa Hando Hu frowned. "What is it, Jordan?"

Wordlessly, Hal held out his palm. Resting on it was his Green Lantern ring. More than one Guardian inhaled sharply.

"Jordan, what are you doing?" demanded Appa Ali Apsa.

"I'm quitting the Corps. I'm sorry, but I'm not the man I was when the ring chose me. I haven't been that man since Sinestro's trial," he confessed. "I've tried, but I don't seem to have the will I used to. I'm broken, and I'm a liability to the Corps. So I'm resigning. I'm sorry."

They were all staring at him, but Ranakar's glare was colder than the others. "Do you think you are the first Green Lantern to encounter difficulties?"

"No," Hal replied honestly. "I know I'm not the first one to resign, either."

"There are protocols to follow if a Corpsman wishes to surrender his duties," Basilus informed him. "It is unheard of — and shameful — for you to resign without any prior notice or proper procedure."

"I _know_ , all right?" Hal exclaimed, feeling his temper rise. "But I don't have a choice — I'm useless to you the way I am now, and in a time of crisis like this, you need all your Lanterns at the top of their game. I'm not, and I'm not going to be, maybe not ever again. You're better off finding someone to replace me — someone actually worthy to wear the ring — than having me hang around as dead weight. And to be brutally honest," he added, "I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Jordan, I understand you've experienced a great loss…" began Lianna.

Hal chuckled humorlessly. "All due respect, but I don't think you do. It hasn't just been today — I've lost more people in the past two months than I have in my entire life. I lost Sinestro to his crazy obsessiveness about total order, I lost my best friend to a random supervillain attack, and I just lost my girlfriend and at least three other good friends in today's battle." He saw the Guardians raise a collective eyebrow at his admission of his relationship with Arisia — while relationships within the Corps were not exactly prohibited, they were heavily frowned upon. Hal plowed on, "I'm done. A Green Lantern is supposed to have no fear, but I'm full of it now. Even Sinestro picked up on it. I fear losing even more people I care about, and I can't do it anymore. I won't. I quit."

He gazed at them defiantly, as though daring them to contradict him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was at least a little aware that he was starting to sound like a petulant child, but really there was only so much one person could take before they snapped. Hal had reached his breaking point.

"Very well," Ganthet said solemnly. "Your reasoning is sound, and those who wear the ring must be willing servants. We accept your resignation from the Corps." As he spoke, the ring in Hal's hand rose and floated back to the Guardians.

Hal exhaled, feeling suddenly empty. "Thank you."

Ganthet nodded, but his eyes showed disappointment. "It is a pity," he said. "You showed great promise, Hal Jordan — but everyone must make their own choices. However, I would ask you to consider this: the ring chooses its bearer for a reason. Abin Sur's ring chose you, Hal Jordan, without returning to Oa first — for it to have done so it must have detected some outstanding quality in you that made you worthy. If you had somehow lost that quality and become unfit to be a Green Lantern, the ring would have removed itself of its own accord; the fact that it did not indicates that that quality is still within you."

Hal was silent as he pondered that. Ganthet waved his hand and Hal's ring returned to him.

"Use the ring to return to Earth, Jordan, then let it go. It will find your replacement."

Hal nodded, took the ring, and left.

* * *

Wonder Woman grabbed a quick snack from the Watchtower cafeteria and then casually strolled to the bridge, still on an adrenaline high from her latest mission with Wildcat and Doctor Fate. Working with her JSA teammates had been exhilarating — and since all three of them looked much the same as they had thirty years ago, it was almost as if no time had passed at all. Yet at the same time, Diana was acutely aware that the three of them were all that was left of her old team. Jay Garrick was gone, and so were Alan Scott, Dinah Drake, Jim Corrigan, Barry Allen…the only one left besides those who had joined the League was Rex Tyler, and Wildcat had fallen out of touch with him nearly two decades ago.*

Diana sighed. The Justice Society had been her family for eight years. She'd found a new group with the Justice League, but she knew that this team, too, would eventually disband. It was the way of things in Man's World to end. Diana occasionally found herself wondering how long it would last this time — but then she reminded herself to enjoy it while it did last, because the joy she derived from her experiences with the League would be worth the sorrow when her teammates passed on.

Wondering wryly how she had gone from feeling invigorated to feeling pensive, she pushed such melancholy thoughts from her mind and stepped into the control room.

"Hello, Vixen," she greeted amiably.

"Hey, Wonder." Vixen smiled her model's smile. "Good mission?"

"Yes." Wonder Woman dropped into the chair next to Vixen. "It was nice to work with old friends."

"Oh, that's right, you and Fate and Wildcat know each other from way back when, don't you? What was it, the sixties, seventies?"

"Sixties," Diana confirmed.

Vixen laughed. "Way before I was born." Her gaze turned thoughtful. "What was it like?"

"The Justice Society? A lot like the League, to be honest," Wonder Woman replied. "Of course, we didn't have a space headquarters or all this fancy technology." She waved a hand at their state-of-the-art monitor womb. "But the job was the same."

"The job?" Vixen sounded amused.

Wonder Woman smiled. "I suppose I've come to think of it as such, yes. I have to admit I almost see it as a duty, now."

"I don't."

"I know," said Wonder Woman. "For you it is a calling."

Vixen looked surprised.

"Everyone has their own reasons for becoming a hero," the Amazon explained. Sometimes it is easy to see, sometimes not. Yours was easy, because of what you were doing before you joined the League." Vixen was a passionate woman who had been using her Anansi totem to help innocents — especially children — even before she moved to the United States.

"And the others?" asked Vixen, intrigued. "What are their reasons?"

"Superman does this because it gives him purpose. With all his power, he needs a cause to fight for, and he chose this," said Wonder Woman. "Batman does it so no one else will suffer what he has suffered. Flash does it because it's his legacy, and he wants to help people any way he can. Atom has a big heart — his compassion for his fellow man is what made him join the League. Doctor Fate and Wildcat both do it because they see it as their responsibility to aid the next generation of heroes. Canary wants justice; J'onn wants to bring hope. Zatara and Zatanna both sort of fell into the business and decided to stay. Aquaman wants to protect Atlantis."

"And Green Lantern?" Vixen was especially curious about him because she'd never actually met the man. Hal had ceased Green Lantern activities less than a week after she joined the Justice League. All she knew of him was that he was a Founder and he was currently on indefinite leave from superhero work.

Wonder Woman sighed. "That's difficult to say. I admit, out of all the people in the League, I find him the hardest to place."

Vixen raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I first met Green Lantern on 9/11," explained Wonder Woman. "At the time, he was very new to this work, but he acquitted himself admirably during the crisis. When Superman suggested forming the League, Lantern was one of the first to volunteer. He's been an excellent hero — committed, brave, fair — but I've always had the feeling that he wouldn't have ventured into this life if the ring hadn't chosen him."

"Sorry, what?"

Wonder Woman paused. "How much do you know of the Green Lantern Corps, Vixen?"

"There's a Green Lantern _Corps_?"

Wonder Woman chuckled knowingly. "Yes. The Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping organization founded by the Guardians of the Universe. Including ours, there are over 3,600 Green Lanterns, each with their own power ring, and each with their own sector of space to protect, or another important duty within the Corps itself."

"So they're like the universe's police?"

"In a manner of speaking. Green Lanterns are chosen for their fearlessness and strength of will. Usually the Guardians will appoint a Green Lantern based on the recommendation of the power ring; but in our Green Lantern's case, the ring came to him without returning to the Guardians first."

"And that's…rare?" Vixen guessed.

"Extremely. Unprecedented, in fact. Normally when a Green Lantern dies or resigns, his or her ring will seek out a few suitable candidates for replacement, but after that it returns to Oa and the final decision is made by the Guardians. Our Green Lantern was specifically chosen by his ring, and as far as I've been able to determine, that is the reason he became a hero."

"Because a ring chose him?"

"Because he feels he shouldn't decline the responsibility."

Vixen mulled over that for a second. "So what's happening now? Where is he?"

Wonder Woman sighed. "I'm not sure."

"Do you think he's going to come back? It's been over a month."

"That depends. The ring is an enormous responsibility, and there's only so long one can carry it if one only accepted it in order to not disappoint others. The ring chose him, but he needs a reason to choose this life for _himself_. If he can't find that reason, I don't think he'll be back."

* * *

It was just past noon when Hal returned to Coast City. He hovered in the sky, observing the city he had protected for three years. This was the last time he would be able to look at it this way, with the whole skyline laid out before him, and he wanted to capture the image in his mind.

"Oh, you're back."

Hal turned to see Star Sapphire floating beside him, her purple aura glowing in the afternoon sun.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to," she continued. "Thought I'd see you occasionally on my flights around the city."

"I haven't really…been around."

"No kidding. I think I've been doing your job for you this past month." She stated it very factually, but Hal wondered if the tiny hint of resentment in her tone was just his imagination. "Where have you been? Oa?"

"How do you know about Oa?" he asked suspiciously, remembering now that Star Sapphire had also known how his ring worked. For a new hero with presumably no connection to the Green Lantern Corps, she was remarkably well informed about them.

Star Sapphire's expression was a cross between surprise and puzzlement. "Don't you know anything about the Lantern Corps' history?"

"Not much," Hal admitted.

"Not one for books, are you?" she commented.

"Not really. Are you going to tell me?"

"Don't be lazy. Go look it up — Zamaron."

"Zamaron?" Hal recognized the name of the planet Lianna was from. "Is that where you're from?" He'd thought the Zamarons would look more like Lianna and the other Guardians than humans.

Star Sapphire smirked. "No."

The old Hal would have pried some more, but this one was still reeling from the attack on Oa, and he didn't really care. Once he reached the ground and took off his ring, Star Sapphire would be somebody else's problem.

"Well, I don't need to know, anyway," he said indifferently. "You can educate the new Green Lantern on the Corps' history."

She frowned. "The _new_ Green Lantern?"

"I resigned."

"You quit?" She sounded shocked. "Why would you do that?"

"Don't judge me," he said harshly. "You have no idea what I've been through."

"You're right, I don't." Star Sapphire crossed her arms. "All I know is you've been MIA since your friend died, and you left the protection of the city up to me."

"I never asked you to do it."

" _Somebody_ had to."

"Look," said Hal in annoyance, "I don't know you. You don't know me. I never asked you to get involved in this work. But you seem to have things under control, and frankly, I can't do this anymore. So yes, I quit the Corps. But you don't get to judge me just because you decided to be Coast City's protector."

Her cool gaze of disappointment was very familiar — it was an expression he'd seen on Carol's face many times. Hal was struck by a sudden sense of déjà vu.

"You always do this," she said scathingly. "You always disappear when people need you."

" _Always?_ Watch the accusations. I told you, you don't know me."

"I thought you were better than this."

"Join the club," he said shortly. "I've disappointed a lot of people. Goodbye."

Without another word, Hal flew away. When he was certain Star Sapphire wasn't following him, he dove down and landed on the balcony of his house. His power ring dimmed the instant his feet touched the floor, but it still did not remove itself from his finger. Hal frowned at it.

"Why aren't you leaving?" he muttered.

Ganthet's words echoed in his mind. _If you had become unfit to be a Green Lantern, the ring would have removed itself._

But it hadn't. His ring was dark, dull, but it adamantly refused to leave by itself.

"It doesn't matter," he murmured. "I can't use you anymore."

He slid the ring off his finger and flung it into the sky. It lit up, glowing green, and immediately started zooming through the air. Hal didn't bother watching where it went, instead retreating inside his home; but if he had, he would have seen it circling his house twice before it took off to the southeast.

* * *

 _ **A/N: *For those of you unfamiliar with my universe and wondering when the hell Diana joined the Justice Society or how everyone in the team died (or why Barry Allen was part of the JSA)...it's too long to explain here. You can either go read the rest of the Tales of Diamond Earth (go, go, go! ;) or shoot me a PM to ask.**_

 _ **Chapter Eight out on Friday!**_


	9. Given the Green Light

_**A/N: Big thank you to Alverrann for her review, as always. You are a lovely person!**_

 _ **This is one of my favorite chapters in the story, not least because it features some guest appearances that I would absolutely squeal about if I were the reader instead of the author.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Given the Green Light**

"John! Have you seen my sketchbook?"

Looking up from the housing brochures he had spread out on the dining table, John found his younger brother searching frantically under the chairs in the living room.

"Wasn't it on the coffee table last night?"

"Well, obviously it's not there _now_ , is it? I took it to add some modifications to my latest design."

"Where'd you put it after that?"

"If I could remember, I wouldn't be asking you, would I?"

John snorted, because this was just so _typical_. Unlike his older brother, James Stewart was messy, rather disorganized, and more than a bit scatter-brained. John had a strong, square jaw, and was broad-shouldered and well-muscled from Marine Corps training; James was long and lean, with softer features. John was serious and reserved; James was cheerful and effervescent. One of the only things they had in common was a mutual love for drawing — even then, the two brothers had taken different directions. John had channelled his artistic talents into architecture, earning his degree before serving with the Marines. James, twelve years John's junior, was currently eighteen and just about to start his major in graphic design — a major that he had gained admission to on the basis of drawings in his missing sketchbook.

"Found it!" James crowed, fishing the large, leather-bound book out from under a couch cushion.

"Congratulations, hotshot," John deadpanned. "Try not to lose it for the next two weeks — the college will want to see those designs when you enroll."

"I know, I know. I'll try to remember where I put it next time." James grinned, then bounded over to the dining table. "What're you doing? Housing brochures? Looking to get back to work?"

"I'll probably do that soon." Before he'd joined the Marines John had had a fledgling career as an architect. He had been taking things easy for the last two months since returning from Afghanistan, but being a man of action, he was already beginning to feel restless and would definitely seek out a job before long. "But actually, I'm looking for a decent apartment to rent."

James' eyebrows shot up. "You wanna move out?"

"I'm 30 years old, James. I should have my own place."

"But then Ma will be all alone!"

"I'm sure she'll manage," John said dryly. Carrie Stewart was a fiercely independent woman who had no compunctions about speaking her mind. Since the first two weeks or so after John came home — and after she'd gotten four years of worry out of her system — she'd been dropping hints that she might quite enjoy having the apartment to herself once James left for college in September. In other words, she wanted John out of the house ASAP. She probably already had plans to turn his room into an indoor garden (she was nuts about plants).

James chuckled. "She probably will, at that. I wouldn't be surprised if she starts hosting weekly bridge parties."

"Exactly." John checked the clock on the wall and gathered the brochures into a neat stack. "I'll see you later, James; I have to go pick up Rex from the airport."

"Rex…your buddy from the Marines?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know he's from Detroit."

"He's not. He's stopping by on his way to Chicago." John grabbed his keys from the key rack by the door and went out.

The Stewart apartment was only on the third floor, so John forwent the ancient elevator and jogged down the stairs to the basement parking. As he unlocked the door to his old Camaro, he thought he'd caught sight of a flash of green; but when he turned around to look, there was nothing to be seen.

* * *

 _"I'm telling you, James, I_ saw _a light. I know I'm not crazy."_

James 'hmm'ed absently, doodling in his sketchbook while keeping the phone tucked against his ear with his shoulder.

 _"James!"_ came the exasperated voice from the other end. _"Are you listening to me?"_

"Yeah, sure I am…you saw a green — er, _something_ — following you for about two blocks before it disappeared into the sky." Tongue between his teeth, James sketched several lines into his latest artwork.

 _"_ Light _, James,"_ his friend stressed. _"It was definitely some kind of green light."_

"What, like a traffic light?" He groaned internally as he noticed a mistake that had to be erased.

 _"No,_ not _like a traffic light. Traffic lights don't follow you around."_

"Mm-hmm…why are you telling me this?"

 _"Because it was really weird and I thought you might be able to give me an explanation? Although now I'm wondering why I ever thought you would be of any help."_

"Yeah, you and me both."

 _"James!"_

James sighed and finally set aside his sketchbook. "What do you want me to say, Kyle? It's not like I can come to L.A. and help you investigate, or anything."

 _"Tell me there's nothing to freak out about."_

"There's nothing to freak out about," James repeated dutifully.

 _"You're very reassuring,"_ Kyle said dryly.

"Hey, _you_ called _me_ , remember? I wouldn't worry about it, Kyle. Odd stuff happens all the time — especially with all the metas around."

"There are no metas in Los Angeles."

"How would you know? They're not all going to be like Superman, you know," teased James.

 _"Hey! Superman is awesome, okay? Green Lantern's got nothing on him."_

"Green Lantern can create anything he can think of," James pointed out. "That's much cooler than super strength and invulnerability."

 _"You're forgetting heat vision, freeze breath, super speed, super hearing, super vision —"_

"Yeah, super everything, sure. I still stand by Green Lantern. Hey — Coast City's not that far from L.A. Maybe that green light you saw was one of GL's constructs," James suggested.

 _"I doubt it. The guy hasn't even been around! Besides, even if it was Green Lantern, why on earth would he be following_ me _?"_

"Maybe he's eyeing you as a successor," James joked.

 _"Har-har-hardy-har. You're a real comedian, James."_

"I try." James shrugged. "Feel less paranoid now?"

 _"Yeah. Thanks."_

"Anytime, buddy."

* * *

"Any change?"

The nurse sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry, no."

Unlike most people who desperately yearned to hear that their loved one had made some progress, the young woman in front of her remained undaunted by the nurse's gentle negative.

"He's taking his time, isn't he?" the woman mused.

The nurse couldn't understand it. For nearly three months now the woman's boyfriend had lain comatose in his bed in Baltimore General Hospital, with no indication that he would ever recover from the horrific auto accident that had put him there; yet she had never once been disappointed by the endless days with no progress. She didn't even appear at all anxious about his possible death; the nurse would have concluded that she didn't really love him, if it weren't for the fact that she had come to visit him everyday without fail.

"Ms. Limbo, you have to understand — there's a possibility that he will never wake up," the nurse said cautiously. "Regular car accidents are bad enough, but when you throw a bus in as well…"

"I know how bad it is, Janet," the woman said serenely, "but don't worry — he _will_ wake up eventually. It's just going to take him some time."

"Ms. Limbo, three months is a persistent coma," the nurse tried again.

"I understand." She gazed fondly at the man on the bed. "But no matter how persistent, a coma will not hold him forever." She gently stroked her boyfriend's light red hair. "My Guy has great things ahead of him — he must be alive for that."

Finally deeming it a lost cause to convince the poor woman that her love was essentially brain dead, the nurse finished administering the patient's medication and quietly slipped out of the ward, leaving Kari Limbo alone with the unconscious Guy Gardner.

Something bright danced across her vision, and Kari saw the glowing green ring floating just outside the hospital window. She smiled knowingly.

"You'll have to find someone else. He's not ready just yet," she said conversationally.

As the ring glided away, Kari turned back to Guy. "Not yet, not quite," she murmured. "But someday, Guy Gardner, on a day of paramount importance, you will be the last of a great tradition."

* * *

Star Sapphire was still seething about Green Lantern's resignation when she made her patrol of Coast City, as had become her habit since taking over as the city's sole protector. She'd thought it was temporary until Lantern got back from whatever Justice League or Corps mission he'd been on for the past month — never in her wildest imaginations had she thought he would quit.

"Well, who needs him, anyway?" she muttered angrily. "Men are violent, arrogant, and close-minded. They oppress women and bring conflict and disunity. I'm better off without him slowing me down."

She spotted an attempted break-in going on in the residential neighborhood below her, and she immediately dove down to deal with the culprits (men, of course). The three would-be robbers knew who she was and attempted to flee, but she used her fuchsia energy to pull them back and systematically pummel them into submission.

At last, thoroughly cowed, the tallest one in the group finally begged, "All right, all right! We surrender! Take us to jail!"

Star Sapphire paused in consideration while her victims huddled together morosely. Her general practice since she'd started vigilantism had been to deposit any criminals she encountered at the nearest police station, as Green Lantern did — but she was tired of taking her cue from Green Lantern. He had proven weak, and she was not going to follow his example.

Of course, if she wasn't going to send these three hooligans to the police, she needed another method to neutralize them; if she let them go, not only would she be allowing them to rob again, but she would be undermining her own reputation. A strong person did not simply let criminals walk away.

A thought popped into her head just then, and she smiled at the beautiful simplicity of it. Green Lantern most certainly would not have approved — neither, for that matter, would most of the Justice League — but it was the ideal solution to ensure that these three wouldn't cause trouble again.

Fisting her right hand, Star Sapphire unleashed a powerful blast of pink energy at the three intruders, then launched herself back into the air.

Those men wouldn't be a problem again.

" _I_ will be Coast City's protector from now on," she decided, "and the champion of women's rights. And the next Green Lantern, whoever he is, had better not get in my way."

* * *

Hal Jordan's ring returned to Oa approximately twenty-four Earth hours after the former Green Lantern had left, surprising the Guardians with its expediency. They had imagined that the ring would take its time selecting several suitable candidates for them to choose from, but apparently they had underestimated the quality of the inhabitants of Sector 2814.

By this time much of the debris from the Qwardian attack had been cleared off the streets of Oa, and the bodies of any Green Lanterns that could be found had been retrieved and placed in a chamber to await interment. Confident that the remaining Corpsmen could continue to handle the cleanup and regrouping without their intervention, the Guardians ensconced themselves in a private room to examine the chosen candidates of Hal's ring and the rings of the other dead Lanterns that had already sought out their replacements.

Never had they ever had to appoint so many new Green Lanterns at once, but the process remained the same. Each ring that had returned was laid on a circular pad which scanned the candidate data stored on the ring and then displayed it for the Guardians to see.

The Corps' leaders had already selected the new Green Lanterns for five sectors when they got to ring 2814. Ranakar's face darkened slightly as he placed it on the scanner, but otherwise he was his usual emotionless self.

He couldn't restrain himself when he saw the candidates the ring had selected, though.

"What!? Three Earthlings? And _no one_ else?!"

"Jordan would have released the ring on Earth," Lianna pointed out.

"Regardless, there are many inhabited planets in Sector 2814," said Ranakar. "Ungara, for example. Alaxos, Dalgova, Caudatia Prima, Heliopolis, Zerbon — all these worlds must have individuals capable of bearing the ring. Why is our selection limited to Earthlings alone?"

"The ring knows best…" Ganthet began.

"In the interest of full disclosure, Ganthet, I'm beginning to wonder whether this particular power ring has some sort of malfunction," said Herupa Hando Hu. "First it chooses Hal Jordan without any contest, and now it appears to be limiting its selection of bearers to a single planet. It cannot be that there are no possible candidates on any of the other worlds in 2814."

"On the contrary, it is quite possible," disagreed Appa Ali Apsa. "You will recall, of course, that at the time of Sinestro's selection, each of the potential Corps members hailed from Korugar."

"And look what became of that," said Herupa Hando Hu. "Oa is in shambles."

"And yet," interjected Lianna, "we chose another Korugarian to be Sinestro's successor, despite the potential of the candidates from other planets."

"Katma Tui's appointment owed just as much to political reasons as it did to the ring's choice," Ranakar reminded her. "After Sinestro's egregious abuse of power, we needed to give the Korugarians reason to trust the Green Lantern Corps again. They would not have reacted well to the appointment of a non-Korugarian Green Lantern for their sector."

"Agreed," concurred Basilus. "Even Tui, beloved as she is for her revolution against Sinestro's oppression, faces some hostility on her home planet for accepting the ring. It will be a long time before Korugar is ready to forgive the Corps."

"Which is why I am disinclined to trust the ring's judgment when it presents such a limited list of candidates," concluded Ranakar. "Particularly a list comprised solely of Earthlings."

"Be that as it may, Katma Tui performed most admirably in yesterday's battle, wouldn't you say?" Ganthet asked mildly.

"She did," Ranakar admitted. "But let us not forget, Sinestro once showed even greater promise."

"As did Hal Jordan," Basilus added.

"Are you saying that because of two disappointing former Green Lanterns, you're going to doubt every ring's choice as to who is fit to wear it?" questioned Lianna.

"Not every ring," Herupa Hando Hu refuted, "but Sinestro's and Jordan's, certainly. Both selected Green Lanterns who ultimately failed in their duties — and in Jordan's case, we, the Guardians, were given no choice whatsoever as to his appointment. If that ring," — he pointed at the green band on the scanner — "is not flawed, then we cannot trust any of the other rings, either."

Ganthet raised one white eyebrow. "The rings have proven near-infallible for eons."

"Eons of use might have contributed to their degradation."

"This is absurd!" exclaimed Lianna. "We created these rings ourselves. If the rings are flawed, then our work was flawed, which means _we_ are flawed."

"Indeed," said Appa Ali Apsa. "Are you suggesting we did something wrong when we made the rings?"

Ranakar and Herupa Hando Hu both looked a bit uncomfortable. They were wise enough to be aware that they were, in fact, not perfect, but they were too proud to admit it.

"Of course not," Ranakar said finally, "but the fact of the matter is, after Jordan's disgraceful resignation, I am most reluctant to select another human. They are still an extremely young species, and Jordan has done nothing to assure me that they are mature enough to wear the ring."

"Hal Jordan defeated Parallax," Ganthet reminded him.

"With a great deal of help from his Earthling friends," Basilus qualified.

"What other Green Lantern do you know of who is capable of sustaining a shield over an entire city, against the living embodiment of fear, for quite a significant length of time?" demanded Lianna. "Even we required all of us to defeat Parallax the first time."

"Alan Scott was a human," Appa Ali Apsa chimed in. "He served with distinction."

"Scott was considerably older than Jordan when he got the ring," said Ranakar. "As well as the _only_ human, until today, to ever be a Green Lantern candidate — and I still wonder why we decided to pick him over the many other prospects for Sector 2814. There must be a reason why only two humans have been Green Lanterns in the entire history of the Corps."

"Yes," agreed Appa Ali Apsa, "as there is a reason why this ring now presents us with three humans."

"I say we send the ring out again," suggested Basilus. "It's entirely possible that, having found three prospects on Earth already, it deemed that number sufficient and did not proceed to other planets. Perhaps a second scouting will yield more results."

"If that were true, we would not have just had to sort through over three dozen candidates for the last ring," Lianna said dryly.

"Precisely!" exclaimed Herupa Hando Hu. "Three is far too small a number to make a wise decision on a Green Lantern."

"But according to the ring, these are the only three it will accept."

"Which is why I doubt its judgment."

"Haven't we already had this debate?" inquired Appa Ali Apsa.

Ganthet had finally had enough. "The question," he interrupted, "is not whether we can trust the ring's judgment. The question is, do we have a choice? We need to replenish our numbers — quickly, for I don't doubt that Sinestro will be back as soon as he is able. We do not have the time to investigate, much less rectify, any perceived flaws in the ring; we need a Green Lantern for Sector 2814, and as Lianna has pointed out, it must be one of these three humans. The ring will accept no other — either we choose a new Green Lantern from the Earthlings, or we will not have a Green Lantern in 2814."

There was a pause as the Guardians processed this. Lianna was nodding, Appa Ali Apsa looked approving, and even Herupa Hando Hu had a resigned expression on his face. Ranakar and Basilus grumbled lightly, but even they knew when the battle was lost. They might not have liked it, but Ganthet was right — they didn't have a choice.

"Very well, then," Basilus gave in. "An Earthling it is."

"An Earthling," Ranakar acquiesced with chagrin. "I do, however, object to the child." He pointed at the screen that bore the name _Kyle Rayner_.

"Actually, on Earth, seventeen years is very close to adulthood," Lianna informed him.

"But not _yet_ an adult," Ranakar stressed. "If we must choose a human, at least let us choose one not so immature."

"Agreed," Basilus said at once.

Herupa Hando Hu and Appa Ali Apsa quickly indicated their agreement as well.

"Very well," said Ganthet, "but that leaves us with only one option, seeing how the other…" — he waved at _Guy Gardner_ — "…is currently indisposed."

"Even more reason why we should examine this ring as soon as we have the chance," Herupa Hando Hu murmured. "A comatose man should never have gotten _near_ the candidacy."

"Then we are in agreement," spoke up Lianna, ignoring Herupa Hando Hu. "The new Green Lantern of Sector 2814 is this man." The other two screens vanished, leaving only the one Lianna was pointing at.

 _John Stewart._

"Another military man," Appa Ali Apsa observed, studying the brief data on the screen. "Let's hope this one follows orders better than Jordan did."

"I just hope, for all our sakes, that we do not live to regret this," Ranakar muttered.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And this was the point where the story really took on a life of its own and I realized it was going to be much longer and much more intricate than I'd originally planned. Accordingly, chapters from now on are going to be longer.**_

 _ **Next chapter arrives on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!**_


	10. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

_**A/N: Oops, I forgot to update for a week! I'm sorry, totally my bad - it's been a really busy week for me, so anything and everything fanfiction-related just slipped my notice. My sincere apologies to all of you waiting for the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one!**_

 _ **Many thanks to Alverrann for her review!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea**  
 _September 2004_

"We have a problem," Batman said grimly at the Justice League meeting.

"Don't we always?" said Hawkgirl sardonically.

The long table in the Watchtower conference room was nearly full. Out of the twenty chairs arranged around the table, five had yet to be filled by future League members; at this meeting, three additional chairs remained empty. Zatanna and the Atom were on a mission in Southeast Asia, and Green Lantern…well, his seat was awaiting a replacement.

"What is it this time, Batman?" queried J'onn.

"There's been a concerning rise of a very specific crime in Coast City."

"Coast City?" Flash, who had been gazing absently at Hal's empty chair, perked up immediately.

"What exactly is happening?" Wildcat asked with a frown.

In response, Batman pressed a button on the remote that controlled the giant plasma screen on one wall of the room. An image of a man encased in a deep pink, crystal-like substance appeared.

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Black Canary.

"There's been an alarming number of men trapped in these crystals," said Batman. "In the past two weeks, almost fifty have been found."

Flash whistled.

"Dead?" questioned Zatara.

"They don't appear to be. As far as scientists can tell, they're in some sort of suspended animation."

"So they could just break them out, right?" said Vixen.

"It's not that simple. The crystal appears to be indestructible. It's resisted all attempts to free the victims."

"How long could the victims last inside the crystals?" inquired Aquaman.

"Theoretically, indefinitely, but in practice…" Batman glanced to Doctor Fate, who nodded solemnly in confirmation.

"Suspended animation is an incredibly delicate process," the mystic explained. "I doubt these crystals have the right attributes to properly sustain their captives for an extended length of time. If too much time passes, the men's bodies will adapt permanently to the stasis, and they will die if they are released from the crystal."

"Well, we can't let that happen," declared Superman.

"Were the victims only men?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Yes," Batman affirmed. "The earliest victims are mostly criminals — thieves, rapists, murderers, gang members — but our crystal-trapper has become more indiscriminate with time. At least half the victims are innocent men with no criminal record."

"Why start with criminals and then move to law-abiding citizens?" Aquaman wondered.

"I've got a better question," said Hawkgirl. "Why are only men being targeted?"

"It would seem to suggest a vendetta against men, wouldn't it?" said Black Canary. "I bet our culprit is some scorned woman who had her heart broken by her man and now she wants revenge on all males."

"You watch too many soap operas," Vixen informed her.

"While I agree with that assessment," Wildcat interjected with a glance at Canary, who loftily rolled her eyes, "in this case, it might be a valid theory."

"Do you have any idea who's doing this, Batman?" Superman inquired.

The response was instant. "Star Sapphire."

There was a contemplative silence.

"But — I thought she was one of the good guys?" Flash said quizzically.

"She has been protecting Coast City in Green Lantern's absence," J'onn agreed.

"Are you sure it's Star Sapphire?" asked Superman. "I'd hate to jump to conclusions just because the crystals are the same color as her energy."

The look Batman sent his way was not quite a glare, but it was a very stern stare, quite obviously questioning what the hell was going on in the Kryptonian's head if he thought the World's Greatest Detective would base his conclusion on a mere _color_.

"…It's not just the color, is it?"

"No."

Superman sighed, waving his hand for Batman to continue.

"S.T.A.R. Labs analyzed the crystal and found that it was a derivative of hard light — which is what Star Sapphire's constructs are made from. They couldn't compare it to her energy because they don't have samples from her, but when I compared the lab results with the energy sample I have on file for Green Lantern, it was almost exactly the same."

Vixen stared at him. "How did you get S.T.A.R. Labs' report?"

"Don't ask," muttered Black Canary. "We probably don't want to know."

Superman still wasn't convinced. "Okay, but that still doesn't mean it's Star Sapphire. The results could just be a coincidence."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Apart from Green Lantern, Star Sapphire is the only known vigilante to use hard light constructs, and her powers are very similar to Green Lantern's. She operates in Coast City, has proven to have a ruthless streak in her dealings with criminals, and the _color_ matches. It fits."

"Gotta say, Supes, it's not looking good for Star Sapphire," said Flash. There was a hint of apology in his tone; he knew Big Blue had been considering inviting Star Sapphire to join the League as Green Lantern's replacement. Flash himself hadn't been too happy with the idea of anyone replacing Hal, but he had to admit that the League had relied a lot on him. In terms of sheer power, Green Lantern was right up there with Superman, J'onn, and Aquaman.

"No, it's not," Superman admitted.

"What are we going to do?" asked Hawkgirl.

"We have to stop her, and find a way to release the victims before it's too late," said Zatara.

"We have to make certain she's responsible before we start any countermeasures. Perhaps a visit to Coast City is in order?" J'onn proposed.

"That seems wise," agreed Aquaman.

"I'm in," Flash said at once.

"I will go," Zatara volunteered.

"I'm coming with you," said Batman. "If I can examine the crystal firsthand, I might be able to come up with a way to free the victims."

"I will accompany you," said Doctor Fate. "I may be able to buy the victims some time."

"That might not be a bad idea," Batman concurred. "I don't expect it will be easy to find a way to break the crystal."

"Then it's settled," said Superman. "J'onn, Flash, and Zatara will look into Star Sapphire while Batman and Doctor Fate study the crystals."

"When are we going?" Zatara inquired.

"No time like the present," quipped Flash as he zipped out of the room, presumably to head to the transport pad.

"Am I the only one who thinks he has an ulterior motive for volunteering?" asked Wonder Woman.

"No," came the chorus from the other four founding members.

Vixen looked puzzled. "I don't understand."

"Flash and Green Lantern are close," Black Canary explained. "None of us has heard from Lantern since he officially resigned from the League; Flash probably wants to take the opportunity to visit."

Aquaman made a quiet noise of disapproval. "He should not mix personal affairs with his duty."

Wildcat snorted. "Good luck convincing him of that. Flash operates on a much more personal basis than most other heroes. It must be a speedster thing — both his predecessors were the same."

Flash chose that moment to dash back into the conference room. "Are you guys coming or what?"

* * *

John slammed into the wall so hard he was sure he would have broken something if he weren't protected by the power ring's aura.

"Again!"

Narrowing his eyes, John picked himself up and attacked once more, firing a barrage of green energy. He still hadn't quite gotten the hang of making constructs, but he was excellently proficient at shooting with the ring.

Though, it seemed, not proficient enough. His opponent's shield held strong — he barely cracked it — and as soon as he stopped shooting and tried to find a way around, the bright green blast knocked him into the wall again.

"Dammit, woman!" he exclaimed.

"Stop cursing and let your ring do the talking. Again!"

John pushed himself off the wall, flying through his opponent's constructed obstacles. She laid heavy fire on him, but he was able to dodge it all, and he had a moment of brief satisfaction when he came too close for her to shoot. With her ring, from a distance, she had the definite advantage — she was more experienced in using the thing — but he doubted she had the hand-to-hand combat skills to counter a physical attack.

Underestimation. That was his problem.

As it turned out, she did indeed have sufficient skill to hold him off. She parried every one of his punches until she found an opening to jab his solar plexus, hard. While he was doubled over, she followed up with a roundhouse kick, landing him flat on his back for the umpteenth time.

"I thought you were a soldier, Stewart. You fight like a rookie." Katma Tui stepped back and glared down at him. "Still think I'm a rookie, rookie?"

John gritted his teeth. He'd taken umbrage at Tui's harsh training methods from the very beginning, but the reason for today's particularly brutal session was entirely his fault. It was nearly two weeks since the ring on his finger had kidnapped him and brought him to Oa to be the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814, and he'd finally discovered this morning that his assigned mentor was no more than a slightly more experienced rookie herself. Katma Tui had been a Green Lantern a mere two and a half months, and for John — already irritated by her aggressive training — this was the last straw. He didn't see how he was expected to learn under a teacher who clearly didn't know how to teach. When he confronted Tui about her suitability as his mentor, she'd challenged him to try to beat her in single combat. If he succeeded, she would step down as his mentor and persuade the little blue men ( _Guardians,_ John reminded himself) to find him someone else.

Obviously, he'd failed spectacularly in proving his point. A junior Green Lantern she might be, but Katma Tui was no rookie — and she was making her ire clear by pushing him harder than she ever had before, and by basically beating the crap out of him.

"All right, fine," John grunted. "You have the skill, but you're not training me."

"What do you think I've been doing for the past twelve days?" demanded Tui.

"That's not teaching! That's throwing everything you can think of at me and expecting me to defend myself!"

"My job is to train you, not teach. I don't have the time to hold your hand while you learn how to master the ring. You'll learn fastest by hard combat."

"Learn what, exactly?" John demanded.

"How to stay alive. In case you hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a war. You think Oa normally looks like this?"

Though much had improved since the Thunderers' attack two weeks ago, Oa was by no means restored to its usual splendor. Beyond the boundaries of the courtyard in which dozens of new recruits were training, the city around them still bore marks of the destruction that had been wreaked upon it by the battle. The architect in John cringed at the level of damage done to the magnificent Oan structures, but his soldier's mindset objected to Tui's reasoning.

"And you think almost killing me everyday is the way to keep me alive?" Marine training was hard and demanding, but at least he'd known what to do there. Here, on a planet a billion miles from Earth, with a tiny green ring as his only weapon, he hadn't a clue.

"I'm toughening you up," said Tui without missing a beat. "If you can't handle my training, you wouldn't last a second against the enemy."

The enemy. John still knew very little about the so-called Thunderers of Qward who had apparently declared war on the Green Lantern Corps — all he knew for certain was that a renegade Green Lantern named Sinestro was leading them, and that their initial attack had wiped out almost half the Corps. The Guardians had finally finished their hasty recruitment of over 1,500 new Green Lanterns, all of whom were being put through a rigorous two-week crash course that crammed as much of the regular three-month training as possible into their heads. As a matter of fact, it was the massive manpower shortage that had resulted in Tui being appointed John's mentor in the first place. As prodigious as Katma was, John was aware that she wouldn't have been assigned as his teacher if it hadn't been for the dire lack of senior Green Lanterns.

"I didn't ask to be involved in this," John retorted.

"Too bad. The ring chose you and you accepted."

"Only because the only other option was to send a freaking _teenager_ into a space war!" John hadn't wanted the ring; the only reason he'd accepted was because the Guardians had made it clear that if he declined, the ring would go to Kyle Rayner. John was not going to be responsible for roping a seventeen-year-old kid into a perilous extraterrestrial conflict, much less his brother's best friend.

"And the fact that you stepped forward to spare the young one is the only reason I haven't dismissed you as a coward," Tui said coolly.

John felt his temper, and his pride, flare. "I'm not a coward."

"Then prove it. Use your will."

John had no time to react as Katma rammed him into the wall again with a green hand.

"This is pathetic, Stewart," she told him as she kept him pinned. "You're supposed to finish your training in two days and you've yet to create a single construct."

"You haven't shown me how," he growled in frustration.

"There's nothing to show!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "Imagine what you want to make and will it into existence!"

She made it sound so simple. The problem was that John's mind was the quintessential architect's — he thought in terms of nuts, bolts, and construction materials coming together to make functional buildings, and he couldn't figure out how to make that serve an offensive purpose.

Until now.

Goaded by Tui's inflammatory remarks, John was determined to make a construct. Casting about for inspiration, his searching gaze found one of Oa's ruined towers, and his architect's mind automatically reconstructed it. Visualizing it whole and complete, John lifted his right hand, and a perfect replica of the structure appeared behind Katma. Tui turned around at once, but was too slow to prevent the tower crashing into her. Her distraction released her hold on John, and he shot into the air, guiding the green tower around the training courtyard as Katma twisted and swerved to avoid it.

Another idea popped into his head, and, grinning slightly, John let the tower disappear. He closed his eyes and pictured the interior of the Stewart apartment, causing the familiar furniture to spring up around Tui, blocking her path towards him. He completed the construct by adding the walls, floor, and ceiling, essentially creating a whole apartment in midair.

Once he was satisfied that he could hold the image in his head, John opened his eyes. He was surprised to find himself right in the midst of the green facsimile of his home; he was standing by the dining table, while Tui was sitting on the living room couch, curiously examining everything in his construct.

"Terrific detail, Stewart," she remarked, actually sounding impressed. "However, next time, it might be a good idea not to put yourself with your opponent in an enclosed area."

A bit sheepishly, but undeniably pleased, John let the copy of his apartment fade. "I know. I'm usually in the apartment when I see it," he said, by way of explanation.

"No doubt," Tui agreed dryly. "At least you've made progress." She raised her fist, her ring glowing.

John groaned. "Again?"

"Again."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Right, now - next chapter SHOULD be out Monday. Or Tuesday, at the latest. If I forget, feel free to send me a PM to remind me.**_


	11. Mystery in Magenta

**_A/N: Wow. Three months. More than three months, in fact. To whoever's reading this, sorry for taking so long - I guess that's what happens when your final year of university kicks off and there aren't a lot of reviews or people reminding me to update. It's not like I don't have the majority of this story written up already - I just completely forgot about formatting and putting out the next prepared chapter, and the longer I didn't do it the more I forgot about it, if that makes any sense =P_**

 ** _Anyway! We're finally back, so please enjoy and review!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Mystery in Magenta**

Coast City was not a locale that tended to require much attention from the Justice League, as it was not the home of any major supervillains, and first Green Lantern and then Star Sapphire did a fine job of keeping crime at a minimum; in fact, Coast City boasted one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Thus, when five members of the Justice League teleported into Palm Avenue late in the evening, people took notice.

Ignoring the stares and whispers, Batman and Doctor Fate betook themselves to S.T.A.R. Labs, while J'onn, Flash, and Zatara conferred briefly about how to investigate — or better yet, locate — Star Sapphire.

"We can cover more ground if we split up," said J'onn.

"Good idea," agreed Flash. "I'll take the north side of the city." J'onn's gaze bored into him. "What?"

"If I remember correctly, Hal lives in the northern part of the city," said the Martian.

"Huh, you're right, he does," said Flash in a too-innocent voice. "Um…what a coincidence?" he offered hopefully.

"Flash."

"Come on, J'onn!" the Scarlet Speedster exclaimed. "He might know something about Star Sapphire."

J'onn held up a hand. "I'm not objecting to a visit, Flash. In fact, I'd like to come with you."

That made Flash pause. "Really?"

"Really," J'onn affirmed. "You're right, Hal might know something."

"Huh. Okay. Uh…what about Zatara?" Flash glanced quizzically at the magician, who was wearing an amused expression.

"Since the two of you are heading north, I'll take the south side of the city," the _Homo magus_ volunteered. "I'll contact you if I find anything."

"Sweet, catch you later," said Flash. He darted down several streets. "Come on, J'onn, let's go!"

* * *

Hal chewed thoughtfully on his pencil as he studied the blueprints in front of him, putting his degree in aviation engineering to good use as he went over the designs for the Peregrine 2.0 with a fine-toothed comb. The test flight for the new and improved model was in two days, and Carol was adamant that nothing go wrong this time. The designs for the plane had been revamped to counter the possibility of another spontaneous blockage causing a failure like the one that had crashed the first Peregrine, and the plane itself had been meticulously checked against the blueprints at each stage of production. Hal was still trying to get back into Carol's good graces after their relationship blowup before Ace's death, so he'd volunteered not just to fly the plane — and in the absence of a Green Lantern ring, he knew he could actually fulfill his promise this time — but also to examine the blueprints himself. Given the rigorous quality control this time round, he wasn't expecting to find anything wrong, but his looking over the designs was an extra reassurance for both Carol and himself.

He had just concluded that everything was perfect when the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" he called. He quickly finished rolling up the papers and went to answer the door.

On his front porch stood Wally West and John Jones, the former of whom was grinning brightly at him. Hal blinked in astonishment.

"What are you guys doing here?" A possible answer occurred to him, and he added, "You don't need to check up on me."

"We're not," said Wally cheerfully. "Not entirely, anyway."

"What?"

"May we come in?" John asked politely. "We have…something we need to discuss."

Frowning, Hal stepped aside to let them in.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you guys," he said cautiously as he closed the door, "but you could have called first. My schedule's a bit erratic these days."

"There wasn't really time," said Wally. "The decision was a bit spur-of-the-moment."

Hal's frown deepened. "Okay, what's going on?"

John decided to plunge straight into the heart of the matter. "Hal, what do you know about Star Sapphire?"

"Star Sapphire?" Hal repeated, brow furrowing. "Not much. Why?"

"We think she might be the one trapping people in crystal," Wally replied.

"Trapping people…in _crystal_?" Hal was confused. "What?"

Wally looked surprised. "You haven't heard?" he asked incredulously. "It's been happening in your city!"

"It is possible that the authorities are keeping it out of the news," John interjected.

"Even if they weren't, I probably wouldn't know," Hal admitted. "I've been a bit…isolated, you could say."

Wally sighed. "Hal…"

"So, people in Coast City are being trapped in crystal," Hal said swiftly. "Why would you think Star Sapphire's the one doing it?"

"Batman found out that the crystal is a more permanent form of hard light," John answered. "And there is enough circumstantial evidence to make it worth investigating her."

Hal quirked an eyebrow. "Circumstantial? Doesn't really sound like you can tie it to her."

"That's what we're trying to do," said Wally. "We're on a clock here — the victims can't survive forever in the crystal. If Bats can't figure out a way to free them, we need to find out who's responsible so we can interrogate them."

"I get you, Wally," Hal assured him, "but Star Sapphire? She's one of the good ones."

"We thought so too. But if she's singing a villain's tune now, we've got to stop her."

Hal had to take a second to replay that in his head. "'Villain's tune'?" he questioned disbelievingly.

Wally grimaced. "Sorry, one too many ripostes with the Pied Piper."

"You really think Star Sapphire could have gone rogue?"

Wally shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know her. Do you?"

"Not well enough to be confident that she hasn't gone bad," Hal conceded. "And frankly, the last time I saw her, we _did_ part on less than friendly terms."

Wally frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say she wasn't happy to hear I quit the Corps. Seemed almost to take it as a personal insult, to be honest."

"What do you know?" John asked again.

"Well, her powers are a lot like a Green Lantern's, but she doesn't use a power ring. She seems to know quite a bit about the Green Lantern Corps, although I don't know how — she claims it has something to do with Zamaron and the Corps' history."

"Zamaron?" John inquired.

"Home planet of the only female Guardian," Hal explained. "Apparently most of the females from the Guardians' original homeworld decided to relocate to Zamaron. Lianna was the only one who went to Oa."

"Does Star Sapphire claim a connection to Zamaron?"

"I have no idea."

"You mentioned that Star Sapphire knows a lot about the Corps," said Wally. "What exactly does she know?"

"I know she knows about Oa and how the GL rings work. Can't tell you more than that."

"It might be a good idea to learn more about this Star Sapphire," mused John. "Even if she is not behind the crystal prisons, she is still a relative unknown."

"I know Bats thinks she's suspicious," Wally agreed. "Any idea where we can find out more about her?" he asked Hal.

"The library on Oa."

Wally winced. "The one only Green Lanterns can access?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, that could be a problem." Wally exhaled. "I don't suppose you have any idea who got your ring?"

"Sure I do."

"Who?"

"Anyone from any of the 17 populated planets in this sector."

Wally threw him a withering look. "Funny."

"You asked."

"We've learned what we can here, Wally." John had risen from his seat. "We should leave to help Zatara."

"Yeah, I know. You go on ahead, J'onn — I'll catch up with you in a few."

John nodded understandingly, morphed back into his regular form, and phased through Hal's ceiling.

"I sure hope nobody sees a Martian floating out of my house," Hal muttered. He avoided looking at Wally until the younger man broke the silence.

"Hal, how are you, really? I mean, we haven't heard anything from you since you told us you were quitting for good."

"Well, now that I'm not in the League, what reason would I have for contacting you?" Hal asked, deliberately sidestepping Wally's question.

Wally stared at him incredulously. "What _reason_? Hal, just because you're not Green Lantern anymore doesn't mean we stop being friends."

Hal ducked his head. "I know. It's just…look, the only reason I ever met you all was because I was Green Lantern. Now that I don't have the ring…what does that make me, really?"

"A retired hero?" Wally suggested. "Like Uncle Barry was, or Doctor Fate or Wildcat before they joined the League — heck, even Diana's been retired before."

"I don't know, Wall. I mean, you're all still my friends, but…isn't it a bit awkward?"

"Why should it be? It's not like we'd consider it… _beneath_ us or anything to continue socializing with you just because you're not part of the team anymore."

"That's not what I mean, Wally." Hal sighed. "I just…don't know how I could face you guys after the way I left."

"What way?" demanded Wally. "Look, Hal, there's nothing wrong with you giving up the ring. This life isn't for everybody, and even those who are in it sometimes change their minds. Nobody's judging you for your decision — Batman aside — and to be honest, the longer your 'leave of absence' stretched, the more we all realized that you probably weren't coming back. And I know you wouldn't have made this decision lightly."

Hal managed a smile. "Never thought about it that way."

Wally returned his smile with a wry grin of his own. "I didn't think you did. But seriously, Hal — how are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, Wally. Just…getting used to being without the ring."

"Yeah…how do you feel about that, anyway?" Wally couldn't imagine being without his speed, even though he'd lived most of his life without it.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, I do miss it sometimes," Hal confessed. "Even though towards the end, I couldn't really do much with it — it's still weird not having it on my finger. But at the same time, it's a huge relief not having to worry about a double life or intergalactic politics or whether I'm worthy enough to be the guardian of an entire space sector. It's like a giant weight is gone from my life."

"Yeah, I guess there would be that sense of freedom," Wally agreed. He'd never said it, but he'd always privately thought that when it came to being Green Lantern, Hal's expectations of himself were ridiculously high; consequently, he keenly felt any perceived failure to live up to those standards. Regardless of how anyone else saw it — even if they thought Hal had done well — if _Hal_ felt that he hadn't succeeded, it hit him hard. It was, in Wally's mind, the reason why Hal had never really recovered his will after Ace died and ended up resigning. His green eyes turned shrewd as he observed his friend. "But you're still unhappy?"

"It's only been two weeks, Wally. I'm still adjusting to…everything."

"Ace?" he guessed.

"Yeah." _Among other things._ But Wally didn't know that. Hal had told the League when he resigned that there'd been a battle on Oa and the Corps had driven the invaders off. He had not said anything about the devastating bloodbath it had been. He would have been content not mentioning anything about Oa at all, except Wally had been with him when he'd received the distress signal and there was no way the redhead was going to forget what he'd dashed off to do. Ace's death gave him a plausible and semi-true excuse for his current blue mood.

Wally was sympathetic. "It'll get better, Hal."

"One hopes, right?"

Wally was about to respond when Zatara's voice came through his comlink.

 _"I've found Star Sapphire. Corner of Sand and Pacific."_ Wally heard something crash, and Zatara added, _"Requesting immediate backup."_

"Uh-oh," Wally muttered. In the blink of an eye, he'd changed into his Flash costume. "Sorry, Hal, I gotta go." And he was out of there before Hal could open his mouth.

* * *

At the sound of three sets of footsteps, two of which were unfamiliar, walking past his lab, Hector Hammond looked up from his research and spotted his supervisor, Ian Egerton, leading Batman and Doctor Fate through the corridor. Hammond frowned at the sight of the two Justice League members.

 _What are_ they _doing here?_

Thus far, Coast City had more or less escaped the notice of the League (with the exception of Green Lantern, of course), who tended to focus more on major cities like New York or Metropolis (though surprisingly, not Gotham) — which suited Hammond just fine. When metabeings took an interest in a city, bad things tended to happen. The Teen Titans had established themselves in Jump City, and that was the first place Darkseid had attacked. Professor Zoom had appeared in Central City, and nearly destroyed the entire municipality. And the less said about the various aliens and supervillains that seemed to flock to Metropolis like flies to honey, the better.

"I didn't know the Justice League were taking an interest in this," Egerton was saying.

"The League is committed to protecting innocents from metabeings who would wish them harm," Doctor Fate responded. "When we heard about this, we were compelled to act."

 _Ah._ Hammond understood at once. _They're here to look at Star Sapphire's work._

While S.T.A.R. Labs had found no definitive evidence to link the violet vigilante to the crystallized victims, Hammond was certain that it was Star Sapphire's doing. Waller, for once, agreed with him — a unit of some of the best scientific minds in Cadmus had been assembled and snuck into S.T.A.R. Labs Coast City, under the guise of being a specialist team from New York, to study the crystals and work out a way to free the victims. Hammond had been instructed to focus on finding a way to neutralize Star Sapphire. He'd been thrilled — he knew that with his intellect it would only be a matter of time, and being the one to take out Star Sapphire would earn him some much-appreciated points with Cadmus' hierarchy. His research, however, was far from complete, and if the Justice League was looking into this and came to the same conclusion he did, he had no doubt that they would take it upon themselves to deal with Star Sapphire — and Hammond's work, and his dreams of kickstarting his advancement through Cadmus, would come to nothing.

"Big damn heroes," he muttered sourly.

Batman suddenly turned his head, and Hammond found himself staring into the cowled face of the Dark Knight.

 _Did he hear me?_

Batman held his gaze for only a few seconds before the the trio vanished down the hallway, but it was enough to raise the hairs on the back of Hammond's neck. Even on this side of the country, people had heard tales of Gotham's guardian. Some called him the World's Greatest Detective, claiming that he was able to learn more in a single glance than most people could in a conversation.

Hammond couldn't help but wonder exactly what Batman had just learned from him.


	12. Violet Rage

_**A/N: I kinda feel like I'm posting this for myself now, not really for anybody else. Oh, well.**_

 _ **Onwards!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Violet Rage**

Zatara had been checking the levels of mystic energies in Coast City — hard light constructs _always_ caused a disturbance in the concentration of different magical forces, which had made pairing up with Green Lantern on missions more difficult for the magic-based members of the League (of the three sorcerers currently on the League's roster, only Doctor Fate had the experience and skill required to perfectly adjust to Green Lantern's effect on his magic) — in an effort to locate Star Sapphire, when the woman herself chose to make an appearance.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my city?" she demanded.

Zatara was not surprised that she didn't know who he was — he was the least well-known of all the Leaguers, and he preferred it that way.

"My name is Zatara," he answered courteously, "I'm a member of the Justice League."

Star Sapphire's eyes narrowed beneath her mask. "I don't need the Justice League interfering in Coast City."

"We're investigating a case involving numerous men from your city being trapped in some kind of crystal. Would you happen to know anything about it?"

Without warning, Star Sapphire fired an energy blast at him. Caught off guard, Zatara was hurled backwards into a street sign, which splintered and clattered to the ground under his weight. He barely had time to roll away before another blast scorched the pavement next to him.

"Wait!" he cried as he evaded her ensuing volleys. "I'm not" — duck — "accusing you" — dodge — "of anything" — jump — "I just need" — duck again — "to talk to you!"

"I have nothing to say to you," declared Star Sapphire.

She formed a whip of violet energy and used it to lash out at Zatara, who had to fling himself to the side to avoid it. As it came back for a second strike, he threw up his arms and bellowed, _"Dleihs!"_

His hastily erected shield prevented the whip from touching him, but due to the hard light effect on the magic, it was not strong enough to completely protect him, and the force of Star Sapphire's blow made him stagger backwards. As he hurriedly made some adjustments to shore up his defenses, he tapped into his comlink and called his teammates for help, just before Star Sapphire's sword construct pierced through his shield.

Flash was there almost immediately, whisking him out of the way so that the sword stuck in a wall instead of in Zatara's chest. With a low growl, Star Sapphire dissolved the sword and created a hand instead, which reached out for the Scarlet Speedster's fleeing form. By a combination of Star Sapphire's quick thinking, the fact that her beams travelled at lightspeed, and Flash's preoccupation with getting Zatara to safety, the fingers of her hand construct closed around Flash's waist.

The Scarlet Speedster found himself unexpectedly yanked high into the air, and summarily felt his ribs being painfully squeezed. Before Star Sapphire could get much more advantage, however, he began vibrating his molecules at an incredible rate. The massive amount of friction soon proved too much for the violet vigilante to maintain her concentration, and the hand construct shattered.

With nothing holding him up, Flash plummeted.

* * *

"Well, what do you make of it?"

Batman ignored Ian Egerton's question, choosing instead to pull out a gem-cutter from his utility belt.

"What are you doing with th—HEY!" Egerton exclaimed in shock as the Dark Knight began chipping away at the crystal block currently entrapping one Lawrence Owen. "Stop that! You can't —"

"Really, my friend," Doctor Fate said with a sigh as he held Egerton back from his attempt to stop Batman. "The least you could do is ask."

"What the hell are you doing?" Egerton demanded.

"I'm taking a sample of the crystal to examine," Batman responded without looking up.

"Seriously?" Egerton shrugged off Fate's restraining hand; the sorcerer allowed him to once he saw that Egerton wasn't still trying to advance. "The wizard's right — you could have _asked_."

"I don't ask permission."

Egerton raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess — 'it's better to ask forgiveness than permission'."

He was met only with silence. Egerton huffed and watched the Caped Crusader drive the gem-cutter persistently into the pink crystal.

"That's not going to work, you know. This thing's proven to be harder than anything on —" Egerton broke off in amazement as a small piece of crystal detached from the block.

"How in the world —"

"Kryptonite-tipped blade."

" _Kryptonite_?"

"This element can cut Superman. And it's _green_."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Once again, Batman didn't answer. Instead, he went around the room, carving out several more samples from the other crystals. After he'd collected about ten or so specimens, he glanced at Doctor Fate, who had been muttering under his breath as he moved between the crystal blocks.

"Any progress?"

"Surprisingly, it is not as bad as I'd feared," the sorcerer replied. "This crystal is unlike anything I've ever seen, and it would seem that, if built correctly, the matrix is fully capable of safely keeping its inhabitant in stasis with no ill-effects whatsoever."

Batman's eyes narrowed. " _If_ built correctly?"

"The molecular arrangement of these crystals seem to be rather haphazard," Doctor Fate admitted. "I do not believe they were constructed by an experienced hand."

"What does this mean for the victims?" Egerton asked, frowning.

"Well, their situation isn't as dire as I'd imagined — they all have a good chance of surviving the breaking of their stasis — but they may experience some undesirable side-effects, depending on how long they were trapped. Which is why I still advise getting them out as soon as possible."

"No kidding," said Egerton. "We've been trying, but it has us all stumped. A team of experts from New York arrived about a week ago — they've been working on it with us, but as you can see, they're not having much luck, either. I don't suppose you have any ideas?" he asked Batman hopefully.

"I'll let you know if I do." Batman pocketed his gem-cutter just as his comlink buzzed in his ear and Zatara's familiar voice came through.

 _"I've found Star Sapphire. Corner of Sand and Pacific. Requesting immediate backup."_

"Fate?"

"On it."

Doctor Fate waved his hand, and his characteristic purple ankh portal appeared. The two Leaguers stepped through at once, and the portal closed behind them.

* * *

Time for a Flash is variable. Due to their incredible speed, hyper-perception was an absolute necessity, otherwise they would be banging into everything in their way. Hyper-perception allowed the Flash's brain to process information at the same speed he was running, so that he had time to react appropriately. The downside of hyper-perception was that it made normal events happening in real time agonizingly slow from Flash's viewpoint. Fortunately, Wally could turn off this enhanced sense when he was not using his powers, and live in real time with everyone else without feeling like he was living in a world of molasses — but his hyper-perception could and would still involuntarily kick in at the most inopportune moments.

Such as when he was in the process of falling at least twenty feet to the hard asphalt. Wally knew full well that he would be in the air for less than a second before he hit the ground — acceleration due to gravity was 9.8 meters per second squared — but to his speedster's mind, it was feeling like several minutes. He had plenty of relative time to realize that forcefully breaking himself free of Star Sapphire's hold in mid-air — when he couldn't fly — might not have been the brightest idea.

 _I probably should have thought that through._ Flash winced at the sight of the road coming (slowly) up to meet him. _This is gonna hurt._

A pair of hands caught him before he hit the ground, and his hyper-perception switched off like a light bulb, restoring him to regular time.

"Thanks, J'onn," he said as the Martian set him down on his feet.

"You are welcome."

Flash looked up and saw Star Sapphire now being engaged by Batman and Doctor Fate, who had just come out of an ankh portal. She was holding her own decently against Gotham's Caped Crusader, but when the world's foremost sorcerer started spellcasting, she quickly lost altitude. Doctor Fate's mystical energy blasts slammed full force into her, and Star Sapphire dropped like a stone. Flash was already on his way to catch her when she managed to successfully shield herself from Doctor Fate's next spell, and then she shot back up, swiping Fate aside with a whip construct.

J'onn launched himself into the air, arms outstretched. Star Sapphire shot a beam at him, but he twisted out of the way and continued on, phasing through her resulting barrage. Realizing she wasn't going to get anywhere if she attacked the Martian Manhunter head on, Star Sapphire created a shield to deflect three batarangs from Batman, before seizing the Dark Knight himself and flinging him into J'onn. The two Leaguers crashed into the steel framework of a nearby tower, J'onn managing to angle himself so he would take the brunt of the impact instead of his frailer human teammate.

 _"Llaberif!"_

A fireball struck Star Sapphire from the left, hurled her way by Zatara, who had propelled himself into the air to join the fight. She dipped a few inches, twirled out of the way of the next fireball, then shot out a claw to grab the magician. Zatara nimbly ducked, and Star Sapphire's preoccupation with him allowed Doctor Fate to sneak up and grab her from behind. She immediately bucked, reacting with violet energy, but the experienced sorcerer held her fast as her aura flared madly. Fidgeting and squirming within his grip, Star Sapphire managed to work her arm loose enough to gain sufficient leverage to jam her elbow into Fate's abdomen. Doctor Fate huffed in pain and his grasp loosened, allowing Star Sapphire slip out and rocket further up into the atmosphere. Zatara gave chase, streaming through the air after her; she hammered him back to the ground, shield and all.

A purple ankh appeared in the sky and a hard shove from the recovered Martian Manhunter pushed her straight into it. Star Sapphire was dropped to the ground by the exit portal, where Batman and Flash were waiting. Flash ran up a whirlwind around her while Batman held a canister of knockout gas ready to spray her with once she was sufficiently disoriented.

That didn't happen. Star Sapphire disappeared into the swirling air, but a second later the rounded tip of a mini jet smacked Flash in the chest, the edge of the wing catching Batman as well. Doctor Fate attempted to assist, but Star Sapphire was within her construct this time, and his attacks simply rebounded off the hard light surface while the plane itself zoomed first into a recovering Zatara, then J'onn, then Doctor Fate.

Deciding enough was enough, Star Sapphire molded the jet into a glowing rope. She looped coils around all the five men and pulled tight, bringing them together in the middle of the street. Bringing her other arm to support the one holding the her construct, she sent a powerful surge through the rope.

Bright violet energy exploded, momentarily blanking out the entire battlefield. When it faded, Star Sapphire was nowhere to be seen.

The large block of pink crystal left in the street, however — and the men inside it — was impossible to miss.

* * *

 _ **A/N: If anyone's still reading, I'd love to hear from you =)**_


	13. A Study in Pink

_**A/N:** **Hello! A massive thank-you to** Jassss **and** dorizard **for reviewing, and also to** JimmyHall24 **for favouriting. It's terrific to know that there are people enjoying this story, and I'm glad that my effort isn't just for me.  
**_

 _ **I would say we're at about the halfway point of the story (maybe a bit beyond). Today's chapter is quite long, so happy reading!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: A Study in Pink**

Wonder Woman stared in concern at the mass of crystal currently occupying the middle of the Watchtower's laboratory.

"How did this happen?" she demanded.

"Star Sapphire," Batman growled. He was already at work analyzing the chips of crystal he'd cut from the blocks in S.T.A.R. Labs.

"So it _is_ her?" Superman's relatively even tone could not entirely disguise the righteous anger simmering in his words. Seeing his own teammates encased in the dreaded pink crystal had all but banished any reluctance to believe in Star Sapphire's culpability.

"Saw her do it with our own eyes, Supes," said Flash.

Superman nodded grimly. "Then she has to be stopped. As soon as possible. Any idea where she went?"

"I presume she's still in Coast City," replied Doctor Fate. "I would have attempted to track her when she first disappeared, but we were trying to free J'onn and Zatara."

Wonder Woman shifted her gaze from the trapped duo to look at the others. "I don't understand how the three of you —" She gestured towards Doctor Fate, Batman, and Flash. "— weren't affected by the crystal at all." Flash coughed, causing Diana to zero in on him. "You weren't, were you?"

"Ah…there might've been some…minimal effects," Flash hedged.

"Stop trying to downplay it, Flash," Batman ordered without looking up from his microscope. "You were under for a full minute."

"What?" Superman was aghast.

"Hey, I vibrated myself out before it could do whatever weird stasis thing it was going to do. I'm fine," Flash said hastily.

"That is yet to be seen," said Batman. "I want you on the Watchtower tonight for observation."

"Wha— the _whole_ night?"

"I want to make sure there are no side-effects."

"Bats!" Flash protested. He looked around the room for help. "Come on, guys," he pleaded.

"It's a good idea," Wonder Woman shot him down. Doctor Fate had already decided not to interfere, so Flash turned hopefully to Superman.

"Sorry, Wally, I agree with Bruce," the Man of Steel said apologetically. "From the sound of it, you barely escaped joining J'onn and Zatara in suspended animation."

Flash's face fell. "I don't believe this. Come on, Bats, have a heart," he begged. "I have a date tonight — Linda will be so mad if I cancel on her _again_. I swear, I'm _fine_."

"You have two choices," Batman told him, still without looking up. "One: you stop talking now and stay on the Watchtower for the night. Two: you can keep complaining, and you still stay on the Watchtower, but I'll handcuff you to a bed in medbay."

Flash glowered at the back of the Dark Knight's head. "…Fine. Option number one." He groaned. "You're a real killjoy, you know that? This has to be like the fifth time you've made me break a date with Linda."

"She's still going out with you after more than a year. If your excuses haven't driven her off yet, I doubt one more broken date will."

"Well, you'd better be right about that, Bruce," Flash said with some asperity. "Because I really like Linda." He dashed out, presumably to call his girlfriend and plead forgiveness.

Superman sighed. "He's not too happy with us, is he?"

"He doesn't like being babysat," Doctor Fate supplied.

"We'll make it up to him," Wonder Woman promised. "What about you two?" she asked Fate and Batman. "Did the crystal do anything to you?"

"It didn't touch me," Doctor Fate assured her.

Batman said nothing.

"Bruce?" Wonder Woman turned to him, her voice firm.

"It tried. Didn't seem to work."

Wonder Woman opened her mouth to say something, but Superman headed her off with a shake of his head. Batman had that edge to his tone that indicated he was getting increasingly annoyed with the constant interruptions to his work.

"Come on, Diana, let's let Bruce and Kent do their research." He took her arm and led her out of the room, casting a solemn glance at the frozen forms of J'onn and Zatara.

* * *

Carol was woken by the muffled ringing of her cell phone. It took at least five repeats of her chiming ringtone for her to wake up enough to realize she should answer, and another four before her scrambling fingers located the phone under a crumpled section of her quilt. She just about managed to hit the receive button before the call went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello, Carol,"_ Hector Hammond responded. _"Did I catch you at a bad time?"_

"Hm? Oh, no — I was just asleep."

 _"Asleep?"_ Hector sounded mildly surprised. _"It's barely dark out."_

"What?" Carol whipped her head around to stare out her window and saw that it was, indeed, still late twilight. _When did I fall asleep?_ She frowned. _More importantly,_ why _did I fall asleep?_

"Carol? Are you still there?"

Carol pulled her attention back to the conversation. "Yes, I'm here. Sorry. I was just trying to figure out what time I fell asleep. I must have laid down for a quick nap and completely dozed off."

 _"I think you're overworking yourself, Carol."_

"Probably," she agreed ruefully. Truth be told, she was getting a little concerned about how often she seemed to be taking unplanned naps, losing track of time, or forgetting what she was doing lately. Overwork would explain everything, and it was more palatable than some other possible diagnoses (a brain tumor, for example). No, stress, she decided, had to be it. Even Hal had observed just yesterday that she was putting herself under a lot of pressure to make sure the Peregrine 2.0 did not go the way of its predecessor.

 _"You should take a break every once in a while,"_ Hector continued. _"Humans need leisure time too. It's a biological need to reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body."_

"This coming from a man who never seems to have time to meet up?" Carol asked teasingly. Since reconnecting with Hector a little over two months ago, she had been talking more with him over the phone. Hector had grown into a confidant for her, always willing to listen to her vent her frustrations about a certain USAF pilot — and, having known Hal almost as long as she had, Hector was also in a unique position to offer insights and advice. Carol had proposed meeting for lunch to catch up more than once, but Hector had always regretfully turned her down, citing his workload at S.T.A.R. Labs.

 _"Actually, that's what I'm calling about,"_ said Hector. _"I've had an unexpected…development in my current project, which has freed up my schedule a bit. Are you free tonight? We can go to dinner. My treat, for keeping you waiting."_

"Tonight?" Carol hedged. "Hector, I'd love to, but I'm _this_ close to the Peregrine test, and —"

 _"Nothing's going wrong with the Peregrine this time, Carol. What happened last time was a fluke — there's no way there'll be a repeat incident with a company the caliber of Ferris Air — particularly not with such a brilliant vice-president at the helm."_

Despite herself, Carol smiled at the flattery.

 _"Besides,"_ went on Hector, _"weren't we just talking about how you need a break?"_

"We were," Carol admitted.

 _"Precisely. So how about it? Because I'm not sure when I'll have another free evening."_

Carol took a peek at the clock. "Okay, Hector — give me an hour to settle my work and get ready, then I'll meet you…where do you want to eat?"

 _"McDuffie's?"_

"Sounds good. I'll see you there."

As she hung up, she noticed three missed calls and a text from Hal. The text explained that he'd called to tell her that his examination of the Peregrine blueprints showed nothing amiss. _We're good to go,_ he'd written. That was reassuring, definitely — but Carol was wondering how she'd missed his three calls in the first place. Given how easily she'd woken up when her phone started ringing, any one of them should have woken her up before Hector called.

* * *

"…absolutely _nothing_ , Kyle, and that's what worries me."

Rex Mason looked on sympathetically from the dining table, where he was clipping sheaves of 'MISSING' posters together. He was trying not to look at the face depicted on them — he didn't need anymore reminders of who should have been here in his place.

 _Honestly, John, four years in Afghanistan, and you go missing in_ Detroit _? That's backwards, man._

Beside him, Carrie Stewart sighed sadly, and Rex immediately chided himself. Whatever worry he was feeling for John right now, John's mother was probably feeling ten times magnified.

You wouldn't think it to look at her, though. The Stewart matriarch must have had iron embedded in her spine. In the two weeks since John had disappeared, Carrie had hounded Detroit PD into opening up a Missing Persons case before the requisite 24 hours, spread the news about her son's absence, and mobilized what appeared to be the half the city's eastern sector. Apparently John was well-known and well-liked by his neighborhood — people knew him as 'that responsible Stewart boy', who had helped take care of his family after the death of his father, then bravely volunteered to fight for the country before returning home a decorated war veteran.

"This is difficult for James," said Carrie. "I'm glad he has that Rayner boy to lean on."

"Kyle lives in Los Angeles, doesn't he?" said Rex. "How did James meet him?"

"Summer camp," Carrie explained. "And then they bonded over art. They became instant friends."

"Have you ever met Kyle?"

"Once. He's a very nice boy. And he's the only person James can talk superhero with."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Superhero?"

"Oh, James has an absolute fascination with Green Lantern," Carrie confided with a small smile. "Kyle's favorite is Superman, which leads to some interesting discussions."

"Interesting, as in they argue over which one's better?" Rex said wryly.

Carrie chuckled. "It's an everlasting argument, and anything from moral codes to color schemes is fair game when it comes to factors to judge them by."

* * *

Carol met Hector ten minutes past the hour she had promised at McDuffie's — a pleasant, mid-scale restaurant in one of the quieter areas of town. Her apologies and excuse about there being more work to settle than she had anticipated were ready to spill from her lips when Hector hushed her.

"It's all right, Carol, I know you have a lot to do," he said with a smile. "Don't worry, I wasn't waiting long. Besides, we're here to relax. Let's not talk about work tonight. Deal?"

"Deal," Carol agreed, returning his smile with one of her own. "What shall we talk about?"

Hector laughed as he waved a waiter over for the menu. "Anything _but_ work," he said warmly.

* * *

There was an air of near-total silence on the Watchtower that night, which ordinarily would have suited Batman just fine. As billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, he rarely got a minute to himself, and when he was wearing the cowl, he was constantly surrounded either by unsavory environments, rowdy criminals, or chattering teammates. One of the reasons why he'd made his headquarters in an underground cave was to satisfy his need for peaceful solitude, as that was the state in which he worked most effectively.

Tonight, though, the quiet was unnerving, because there were four people with him in the laboratory, and none of them was making any noise.

Trying to shrug it off, Batman unwrapped the electronic monitor cuff from Flash's arm. "We're done," he said, and his deep voice was like the crack of a whip in the unnatural stillness.

"And?"

"Everything looks normal."

"I could have told you that," Flash said testily, hopping off the chair. He glanced at the digital time display over the door of the lab; it was set to Eastern Standard Time, and currently it read 00:15. "You're still not letting me go home yet, are you?"

"I'll need to take repeat readings at least twice more during the night. We need to be absolutely certain that your system doesn't have any delayed reaction to the contact with the crystal."

"You mean _you_ need to be certain," Flash shot at him. "Because apparently you can't trust what I have to say about my own body."

"I didn't —"

"You know, Batman, when I say I have a hyper-accelerated metabolism, I mean it _literally_. I don't _have_ delayed reactions. If nothing's happened by now, nothing's going to. Logically, I could go home right now."

"It's 11:15 in Central City. You would still have missed your date."

"Gee, I wonder whose fault _that_ is," Flash retorted.

"Flash —"

"What time do you need me to come in for the next test?" Flash cut him off.

Batman frowned. "2:30."

"Fine. I'll see you then." Flash sped out of the lab before the Gothamite could blink.

The slightest of coughs drew Batman's attention to the only other moving person on the Watchtower.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked archly.

"Honestly? Yes," Doctor Fate admitted. "It isn't often that Wally gets this riled. For a redhead, he's remarkably even-tempered. It reminds me of how Barry used to react whenever Ted started lecturing him."

Batman said nothing, diverting his gaze to the microscope under which he was studying crystal shards.

"It is also," Doctor Fate continued, "quite enlightening about his current state of mind."

At that, Batman turned sharply. "You think the crystal affected his mind?"

"I can't say anything for certain," Doctor Fate cautioned. "Hard light is not my area of expertise, but the more I study this particular crystal, the more apparent it becomes that there is some sort of mystical element involved in it as well."

"What have you discovered?"

"It would seem that the design of this crystal is meant to evoke the memories of lost love," said Fate. "Which makes it particularly effective against anyone who has ever lost a loved one — and especially those whose grief is still strong."

Batman's eyes narrowed in contemplation, casting a scrutinizing glance at their two crystallized teammates. "J'onn still mourns the loss of his planet and his family. Zatara never truly got over his wife's death, and in a way, he would have grieved the years he missed in Zatanna's life."

"My thoughts exactly. And I have noticed that Wally still grows moody on the 19th of every month."

"Barry's date of death," Batman noted.

"Indeed."

"There's a flaw in your theory, though," Batman pointed out. "I wasn't affected by the crystal…"

"Actually —"

"… _aside_ from the few shards that grew on my suit, and they came off easily enough."

"Bruce," Doctor Fate said, abruptly shifting to civilian names, "in all honesty, when was the last time you thought of your parents before today?"

Batman frowned, not because he was angry, but because he actually had to pause to think about his answer.

"I'm not sure. It's been a while."

"Precisely my point. Your parents died over twenty-six years ago, and you've grown a great deal since then. The human spirit is very resilient, and despite your best efforts to hold on to the hurt and the sense of injustice that you think fuels your actions as Batman, you've healed. Against your better judgment, you've let the pain of losing your parents go, and all that's left is a bittersweet memory. Am I right?"

Fate's gentle challenge hung in the air for a long moment before Batman spoke again, his face completely expressionless and his voice calm.

"That's quite an insight." It was neither a confirmation or denial of Fate's deduction, but the sorcerer knew he was right.

"It's easy to be insightful when one recognises what one has gone through oneself."

Batman raised an eyebrow at this. He hadn't known that Fate had gone through a similar experience to his — but then, there was a lot he didn't know about the enigmatic sorcerer, despite all his research. Of all the people in the League, Wonder Woman and Wildcat were the only ones who could claim to truly know the man behind the Helm of Nabu.

"Who did you lose?"

"My father," answered Doctor Fate, very straightforward. "When I was six years old I accompanied him on an archaeological expedition. I foolishly opened a tomb, accidentally releasing the poison gas that killed him."

The Dark Knight's face shifted in an almost imperceptible wince. "That was unfortunate." Condolences would be out of place in this conversation.

"Indeed. It took me years, but I moved on. I have no lingering grief over my father's death, which is why Star Sapphire's crystal could not touch me."

"You must have lost others since then," Batman pointed out. He was still trying to pinpoint exactly what criteria had to be met for the crystal to entrap someone.

"True," Doctor Fate admitted. "I've lost many dear friends — Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and Barry Allen among them. I'm immortal — it comes with the territory. But none of their passings evoked the pain or longing I felt when my father died."

"So the crystal needs there to be a deeply-entrenched grief, and a sense of longing for a departed person," Batman mused.

"It would seem so. I'm not certain whether the emotions have to be tied to a deceased individual, or simply one who isn't around for whatever reason."

"It's enough to go on, for now." Batman looked thoughtful. "If you're right, it would explain why J'onn, Zatara, and Flash were affected — but it doesn't explain how Flash got himself out."

Doctor Fate suggested pointedly, "Perhaps scientific readings are not the tools you need in this case."

* * *

"…and I think I've nearly figured it out," Hector said as he refilled both his and Carol's wine glasses.

Despite their agreement not to talk about anything work-related, Carol and Hector had somehow breezed through chats about family, travel plans, hobbies, high school reminisces, and the latest movies, before finally landing on the topic of the current epidemic of crystallized men. Naturally, once Carol brought it up, the conversation inevitably shifted to Hector's assignment by Cadmus to figure out how to neutralize Star Sapphire (though he didn't say it in so many words).

"You really think Star Sapphire's the one behind the crystal trappings?" Carol was as yet unconvinced this was the case, but inexplicably, she felt a light echo of guilt whenever she considered the possibility of Star Sapphire's involvement in Coast City's most bizarre crime spree.

"It fits," Hector insisted. "Even in her earliest appearances, she demonstrated a very hard attitude against the criminals she stopped. With her power, she could have easily lost what few principles she had and turned into an all-out supervillain."

"Imagine that," Carol said lightly, covering her sudden unease with a laugh. "Coast City's first very own supervillain."

Hector frowned slightly at what he saw as her casual attitude about a serious problem, but he chose to let her flippant comment pass. Carol really had been working herself to the bone lately — serious conversation was the last thing she wanted right now, and he mentally kicked himself for forgetting that.

 _Time to change the subject._

"Well, that's enough about that. We've finished dinner. Are you up for dessert?" he proposed.

"Sure," Carol replied readily. "Who knows when you'll next have a free night? I might as well take full advantage of this very rare opportunity to spend time with you."

She smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back easily.

He'd always had a soft spot for her.

* * *

It didn't take long for Batman to locate Flash. The unhappy speedster was in the Watchtower's extensive gym, venting his frustrations the only way he could: by running.

Before Barry's death, Wally hadn't really needed an outlet for his emotions. After the messy and tragic business with Zoom, however, his normally happy-go-lucky demeanor had dimmed for a while, and the emotional turmoil of losing his uncle, coming to terms with Zoom's role in his past, and nearly dying himself necessitated finding a way for him to let off some steam every now and then. It came as no surprise to anyone that raw speed proved to be the best method for doing this. Linda Park had been very understanding and had proved to be a great help in the difficult first few months after Barry died (which was one of the reasons why Wally was so attached to her), but nothing calmed a speedster down like a couple of laps around the globe. Of course, Wally couldn't do that when he had to stay on the Watchtower for League duties, so Green Lantern and Hawkgirl came up with the idea to modify a treadmill for Wally's needs. It took a fantastic amount of tinkering and reconstruction to ensure the treadmill could keep up with the Flash's speed without totally disintegrating, but they'd done it. The 'Cosmic Treadmill', as Hal had nicknamed it — "Because, you know, it's a treadmill in _space_ " — had done its part in keeping Wally sane not just in the aftermath of Barry's death, but also whenever he felt claustrophobic on the space station and felt the urge to run.

Nowadays Wally used the treadmill more for actual training, or to relieve the boredom of being cooped up in the Watchtower, rather than as a metaphorical punching bag, but it was quite clear that he wasn't running for practice tonight. The Scarlet Speedster was nothing more than a red blur on the whirring treadmill, contained golden lightning flickering around his form.

"Flash, we need to talk."

To Batman's human, non-Speed Force-enhanced eyes, the Flash's rate of movement remained the same, but it was obvious from the sudden increase in lightning and the whine of the overstressed treadmill that Wally had upped his running speed considerably.

 _"Wally."_

The lightning streaks turned into a golden net. The treadmill's complaint became higher-pitched.

 _Stubborn as always,_ Batman mused. It was so typically clichéd for a speedster to attempt to run from his problems. Batman, however, kept a careful record of each Leaguer's capabilities, and he knew that Wally couldn't sustain such a high speed for long. He crossed his arms and waited for the redhead to tire himself out.

In a matter of minutes Flash was forced to slow down, the lightning going back to controlled levels and the treadmill returning to its constant gentle hum.

Still Batman waited. Wally was far more used to this pace and could maintain it for much longer than his previous frenetic rhythm.

After nearly half an hour, the Dark Knight's patience was finally rewarded as Flash slowed to a stop, shut off the treadmill, and sat down heavily on the platform, panting.

"You…are one stubborn bastard," the redhead informed him.

"I've been called worse," Batman said evenly.

"I'll bet." Wally pulled off his cowl, revealing messy red hair and troubled green eyes. "Why are you here, Bruce?"

"I need to find out more about how the crystal affected you."

Wally scowled. "And all the tests you're going to be doing on me tonight aren't enough to figure that out?"

"The tests will only give me information about your physical condition. I need to assess your mental state."

Wally immediately scoffed. "I don't believe you, Bruce. If you seriously think a _pink crystal_ is going me make me crazy…"

"Wally, Doctor Fate has a theory that contact with the crystal brings certain painful memories to mind."

Wally stiffened, his eyes clouding over with pain.

"It showed you your uncle, didn't it." Batman's voice was surprisingly gentle.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to. Fate and I have come to the conclusion that the crystal works on emotion — specifically, grief for a loved one. You're the only one who's managed to get out of it; I need to know what you did, or felt, that enabled you to escape. It could be the key to freeing J'onn and Zatara — and all of Star Sapphire's victims."

"I don't know, Bruce," Wally said wearily. "All I remember is panicking because that crystal was going to close me in — and then all I could think about was Uncle Barry."

"How did you feel?" Batman pressed. Before the speedster could get upset again, he stressed, "Wally, it's _important_."

The redhead shot him a scathing look. "How do you _think_ I felt? Lord, Bruce — I would have thought _you_ , of all people, would understand…"

"Apparently I don't."

"…given how you…what?" Wally paused, confused. "What do you mean, you don't?"

Bruce coughed. "It's been brought to my attention that I may no longer be as fixated on my parents' deaths as I think I am."

Wally stared blankly at him. "What?"

"I don't grieve for them anymore, Wally," Bruce said bluntly, honestly. "It will always hurt knowing what happened to my parents, but somehow — even though I thought I would never be able to — I've…moved on. I'm ashamed to admit I barely think of them anymore. I will always wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had lived, but I don't long for them the way I used to."

Wally was stunned. "Where did this _come_ from?" he exclaimed. "Since when could _Batman_ — the Dark Knight of vengeance, the Caped Crusader himself — admit that the _reason_ he became Batman in the first place…doesn't exist anymore?"

"My reasons are unchanged. I'm just not as obsessed as I once was. Though I will admit that it took some deep psychoanalysis from Fate to make me realize it."

Wally huffed. "Doctor Fate. Figures. He has about twenty different PhD's, and I'm sure psychology is one of them."

"Quite possibly."

Wally exhaled. "So…you think the crystal got me because I'm still grieving for Barry and I haven't moved on yet?"

Batman nodded.

"You're probably right," Wally admitted bitterly. "I know it's been over a year, and I know I told Hal not to dwell on the loss…but I haven't quite been able to let him go. I'm not…depressed, or anything, but…" He shrugged helplessly.

"But you miss him too much and you still blame yourself for his death."

Wally's head shot up in incredulity. "How do you —"

"You're not the only one who's ever felt this way," Bruce reminded him. "I blamed myself for my parents' deaths too, and Fate blamed himself for _his_ father's death. And I'm willing to bet good money that _Hal_ still blames himself for Ace's death."

Wally nodded. "He does." Then he laughed self-deprecatingly. "You know, when you put it that way, it seems like a lot of us heroes like to play the blame game."

Bruce smiled wryly. "There's a reason they call it a hero complex."

"No kidding." Wally smiled, his first genuine smile since they'd fought Star Sapphire. "Bruce, my emotions are kind of a mess right now — I'm not sure _what_ I'm feeling or what I _should_ be feeling, and I'm sure as hell not sure what I _was_ feeling in that damn crystal. Once I have a handle on it all and manage to sort out my head, I'll try to pinpoint how I escaped the crystal, and I'll tell you. All right?"

"All right," Batman conceded. "You'll probably manage it faster if you're at home."

Wally blinked. "I thought you wanted to do more tests?"

"I've decided they're unnecessary. You're right — it's your body, and you know it best. If you say you're fine, I believe you."

"Wow. That's…really cool of you, Bats. Thanks." Wally grinned. "You know, since you're being amazingly open tonight, mind if I ask why exactly you were so insistent about doing the tests in the first place?"

Batman gave him a look, but he replied, "I'm a paranoid person, Wally. I look for the worst-case scenario in every situation. And I was hoping that testing you would give me an idea about how to reverse the crystallization. Zatanna is going to be up here tomorrow and I don't relish the idea of telling her what's happened to her father, particularly if I have no leads on how to free him."

Wally considered that for a moment, looking thoughtful. "You really do care, don't you?"

Batman scoffed. "I'm not a heartless bastard, Wally. I'm no touchy-feely person like a _certain someone_ I could name…" Wally smirked. "…but I'm not an emotionless robot either."

"Yeah…I guess I've never realized that before." Truth be told, Wally had always been under the impression that Batman — and even Bruce Wayne — was a pretty cold, logic-driven character, overly focused on the mission objective at the expense of any true personal attachments — the exact opposite of Wally himself. Even when Wally had discovered that Bruce did have a softer side, he'd assumed that it was reserved solely for his 'Bat family' (Alfred, Dick, Jason, Barbara) and his closest League friends — people like Superman, Zatanna, and Wonder Woman. Wally had never thought that Batman's opinion of him would ever rise beyond that of a trustworthy colleague, especially given how the Gothamite treated him most of the time. Finding out that Bruce actually did like him, and cared enough to be paranoid about his well-being, was strangely heartwarming for the young speedster.

"Thank you, Bruce."

"Don't mention it," Batman replied, absolutely seriously. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

Wally laughed. "And I suppose you'll deny this conversation ever happened."

"I won't have to, because if you know what's good for you, you won't say a word about it."

"Yeah, probably not," Wally agreed. "Besides, who's going to believe me?" He winked before pulling his cowl back over his head. "Goodnight, Bruce." He zipped off towards the transporter room.

* * *

John Stewart was rather taken aback to find, upon his landing back on Earth for the first time in over a fortnight, that posters with his face on them were plastered all over his neighborhood. Upon closer inspection, he recognized his mother's wording and his brother's careful lettering, and he felt a pang of guilt for leaving them without any explanation. Granted, he hadn't had a choice, what with the ring on his finger abducting him to a planet at the center of the universe — but that didn't diminish the worry and fear his family must have gone through in the last two weeks.

"I don't believe it!" someone cried, and John turned to see Al the cab driver staring incredulously at him, leaning so far out the window of his car that he was in danger of falling out. "John Stewart, is that you?!"

"In the flesh." John jogged over to Al's cab, uncaring of the curious glances he was attracting in his Green Lantern uniform and the slight green glow he was emanating in the nighttime darkness. It was the choice of each individual Green Lantern whether they wanted to maintain a secret identity or not, and John had already decided that he wasn't going to bother.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Al exclaimed. "Where've you been, son? The neighborhood's been pulling out all the stops to try and find you."

John winced. "Have they really?"

"Well, what else do you think they'd have done? You just upped and disappeared! Your mother and brother have been worrying themselves sick." Al frowned and squinted even more closely at John. "Son, what _are_ you wearing?"

"Um…"

"Wait a sec, I've seen that symbol before." Al stared at the insignia on John's chest, suddenly gulping. "That's Green Lantern's symbol, isn't it? Jumping gargoyles, John, is _that_ where you've been? Are you the new Green Lantern? James told me the original hasn't been seen for a while."

John hesitated, wondering how much to reveal. He wasn't fussed about concealing his new responsibilities, but neither was he going to tell people more than what was necessary for them to know. The vast majority of the Green Lantern Corps' affairs didn't even involve Earth, let alone Detroit. On top of that, most people in Detroit — with the exception of James — knew more about Superman and the Flash than the Green Lantern. Coast City was just too far away for them to be more familiar with John's predecessor; and what little Al knew about him had probably come from James.

James, who was going to completely flip when he found out his brother was the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814.

"It's a long story," John said finally. "Listen, Al, I'll tell you more some other time, but I really need to explain everything to my family first." Carrie and James would possibly be the only two people on Earth who were going to get the full story from John. As they were his family, he owed them that much. The Corps was, after all, currently embroiled in an interplanetary war, and John could be called to participate in a battle against the Qwardians at any moment. He thought it was mightily ironic that he'd retired from the United States Marines only to be drafted into an even more dangerous corps in the middle of a space conflict. His mother and brother deserved to know what could possibly happen to him. Al was a close family friend, so he would probably get more than the rest of the public would, but John wouldn't be telling him nearly as much as he was going to tell his family.

"Sure, of course." Al nodded understandingly. "You'd better get to it, then, before one of these folks here makes a trip to the Stewart residence." He gazed meaningfully at the bystanders on the street.

"Thanks, Al." John started walking towards his apartment building, but then he reconsidered.

 _What the hell,_ he thought, fingering his ring. He might as well adapt to using it on Earth and around other people.

With a mere thought, John's green aura brightened, and he rose smoothly from the road, inciting gasps of shock from the watching Detroiters as he blazed a glowing trail in the night sky. Even if people hadn't noticed his uniform before, or thought they were seeing things, there could be no doubt in their minds now about his new status. By morning, the news would be all over the city, and by the end of the week, the whole country would know that the Green Lantern had returned.

* * *

 ** _A/N: As always, reviews are welcome, appreciated, and very very lovely._**


	14. Red Flags

_**A/N:**_ _ ** _ **In case it isn't already clear, the Monday-Friday update schedule I outlined at the start of this story's posting is completely out the window. Sorry, guys, real life took over.**_**_

 _ **Big thank-yous and e-hugs to** JimmyHall24 **and especially** dorizard **for reviewing the last chapter!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Red Flags**

Star Sapphire was out on patrol in the early hours of Wednesday morning when she caught sight of a shadowy figure darting across an airfield. Frowning at this blatantly suspicious activity, she swooped closer to the ground and witnessed the unknown person disappearing beneath the undercarriage of an impressive looking fighter jet. Star Sapphire watched for a few moments, but when the person failed to reappear, she landed next to the plane and shone a light under it.

"What exactly are _you_ doing?"

The man she'd caught froze under her beam like a literal deer in the headlights. "This isn't what it looks like," he protested feebly.

"No?" questioned Star Sapphire. "Because to me it looks like you're messing around with the secondary fuel tank."

Despite his obvious apprehension about being confronted by an energy-wielding vigilante, the man was curious. "What do you know about airplane fuel tanks?"

"More than you think. I'm going to ask again, and you'd better answer this time. What are you doing?"

He held his hands up, looking appropriately fearful. "I'm not messing around, I swear. This baby's going for her test flight in a few hours; I'm just making sure that everything's in tip-top shape. Don't want it crashing and burning like the first model."

"How noble of you," Star Sapphire said dryly. "Why are you sneaking around to do it?"

"Technically speaking, Ferris Air doesn't know I'm here…wait, wait, let me explain!" he cried as a bright pink glow blazed around her fist. "I'm U.S.A.F — look!" He showed her his Air Force identification card: _Capt. Hardy, Vince._

Star Sapphire frowned. "Why is U.S.A.F. snooping around a plane belonging to Ferris Air?"

"It's our plane. We commissioned it from Ferris Air. The higher-ups think there might be something fishy going on with the Peregrine development, because there wasn't a satisfactory explanation for why the last one blew up."

"And you think Ferris Air is deliberately undermining their own plane?" All of a sudden, Star Sapphire was furious, though she didn't want to dwell overmuch on the reason for this. Why should she care so much about the politics of some random aircraft company?

"That's why I'm checking it out," Hardy hastened to explain. "One of our own is test piloting this later — we don't want anything to happen to him."

"And?" she demanded.

Hardy blinked warily. "And…what?"

"Does the Peregrine pass your inspection or not?"

"Oh — oh! Yeah! Yeah, it does." Hardy coughed and then cleared his throat. "All good here. Heh. Um…you're not going to hit me, are you?" he asked, cringing.

"I'm considering it."

"Ah…I'd rather you didn't, ma'am. I'm just doing my job."

"So you've said." Star Sapphire glared at him. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here, because I can't find any proof that you're lying. But, I'm keeping my ear out today; if I hear that _anything_ has happened to this plane, I will hunt you down myself. Clear?"

Hardy gulped and nodded nervously. A light of terror had appeared in his eyes.

"Get out of here before I change my mind."

With a last, fearful glance at the Peregrine, Hardy bolted.

* * *

It was a concerned Zatanna who materialized on the Watchtower that morning. An expectant Batman was already waiting for her in the transporter room.

"Bruce, have you seen my father? I know he wasn't on monitor duty last night, but he didn't come home, and…" Zatanna trailed off at the look on Batman's face. "Bruce?" she asked uncertainly.

Batman exhaled slowly. "Zee, there's something you need to know."

* * *

"I still can't wrap my head around it," James said breathlessly as he pulled his plate of pancakes towards him and started shovelling forkfuls into his mouth. The whole time, his eyes never left the ring on John's third finger. "My brother, the Green Lantern!"

" _A_ Green Lantern, James," John corrected. "There are thousands of others around the universe."

"Yeah, but none of them are _here_ , are they?" pointed out his brother. "This is so cool!"

"James, you're dripping maple syrup on the tablecloth," Carrie reprimanded.

"Oops! Sorry, Ma."

"I can't believe you stuck around here for two weeks," John said to Rex, who was morosely nursing a hangover over a cup of black coffee.

"Well, I couldn't very well leave when my buddy was missing, could I? Ugh," Rex groaned, dropping his aching head back into his hands.

"I told you not to drink so much," John said, utterly unsympathetically.

Rex looked up at him blearily. "Can you blame me?" The copious amount of alcohol he had consumed last night was partly due to celebration that John had returned, and partly as a coping mechanism for the incredible tale his Marine buddy had spun for them upon reappearing at the Stewart apartment.

"Yes."

Rex managed a snort that wasn't entirely pitiful. "Oh, I _so_ won't be bothering to hang around the next time you vanish, no siree."

John rolled his eyes, but he had a gruff smile on his face for the friend who had supported his family through their weeks of worry. "Drink your coffee, Rex."

* * *

"Be careful up there," Carol told Hal. "Make sure you double check the meters, and keep a sharp eye out for anything that looks weird, and keep your safety belt on, and for God's sake, don't do anything crazy in the air."

"Carol, it's going to be _fine_ ," Hal emphasized. "You've personally overseen every aspect of this Peregrine, and I promise you that everything looked perfect on the blueprints."

"Everything looked perfect on the blueprints for the first model, too."

"Your people ran system checks yesterday, didn't they?"

"Yes," Carol admitted. "And then I did them again myself."

"Did you?" Hal smiled. "Well, now I _know_ I'll be safe."

Carol was unappeased. "Hal…"

"Ms. Ferris." Tom Kalmaku appeared from around the corner. "We're all set. Everything looks good."

"There, you see, Carol? Tom's the best mechanic you have around here, and even he says the Peregrine's fine."

"Thank you, Mr. Kalmaku," Carol said, ignoring Hal's comment. "Please tell the Colonel that I'll be with him shortly."

"Yes, ma'am." Tom nodded and left, though not before receiving a wink from Hal.

"Go on, Carol. You don't want to keep Col. Walters waiting."

"I'm going, I'm going." Carol met his eyes one last time. "Be _careful_."

Hal's face softened. "I will."

* * *

"I don't understand," Zatanna said, struggling to wrap her mind around the image of her beloved father encased in solid crystal. She reached out one cautious finger to touch the hard surface. "You're saying…this stuff…runs on his _love_?"

"Lost love, Doctor Fate thinks," Batman clarified. "We can get him out, Zee."

Zatanna immediately whipped around. "How?"

"We're working on it."

She deflated. "You don't know."

" _Yet_ ," Batman stressed. "We don't know yet. But Flash was temporarily trapped too, and he managed to get out —"

"What?" Zatanna gasped. "How? Can he do it for my father? Where the heck is he, anyway?" She looked around as though she expected the Scarlet Speedster to zoom in any moment.

"Zatanna," Batman said steadily. "He needs some time. The crystal played on his emotions for his uncle. He's not sure what he did to escape. He's trying to figure it out; once he does, we'll find a way to use it to free Zatara and J'onn, and all the other men in Coast City."

"I can't believe this is happening." Zatanna pressed her fingers into her temple. "His uncle?" she questioned.

Batman nodded. "The previous Flash, of the Justice Society. He died last year while Wally was in a coma."

Zatanna winced. "Yikes. Poor kid." She glanced back at her father; Zatara's eyes were closed, for which she was thankful — but there was no mistaking the aching longing on his face. "I can't lose him again, Bruce," she said with a little catch in her voice.

"You won't," he promised.

She looked at him with sad, hopeful eyes. "You're sure?"

"Doctor Fate is optimistic. The stasis is completely reversible. This isn't permanent, Zee."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. What are we doing about Star Sapphire?"

Batman's expression didn't change. "I have some ideas."

* * *

"Are you sure you packed everything you need?"

"I'm sure."

"Did you double check?"

"Yes."

"Do you have your sketchbook?"

"Yes."

"Your transcripts?"

"Yes."

"Enough underwear?"

" _Ma!_ " James protested, turning red.

"Just checking, honey," said Carrie. "I know how absent-minded you can be. You wouldn't want to find yourself in an awkward situation."

James blushed even more. At the dining table, Rex was trying and failing to hold back his sniggers, and even John was smirking.

"Ma, the University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor. I will be literally _one hour away_. _And_ coming back on weekends. I'm ready, I swear. _Please_ can we go now?"

"All right, all right." Carrie swiped her keys from the hook beside the door. "John, sure you don't want to change your mind about seeing James off?"

"I'm good," her elder son replied. "Like he said, the university's only an hour's drive away. Besides, if I want to visit, I don't need a car." He held up his hand for emphasis.

James groaned, ignoring for the first time today the thrill of seeing the Green Lantern ring. "Please don't tell me you're going to be popping in to check up on me every other day. That'll be _embarrassing_."

"I thought you liked the Green Lantern, hotshot."

"Not if you're gonna use the ring to babysit me!" James exclaimed. "That's gotta be an abuse of power, right?"

"Relax, James. As long as you don't lose your head in the clouds, I think I can trust you to take care of yourself."

"Thanks."

"Of course, if I _do_ decide to check on you, you won't even notice me."

"John!"

"James," Carrie interjected, holding open the door, "come on."

John chuckled. "Go on, hotshot. Have fun."

James grinned. "Bye, John. Bye, Rex!" He waved and ducked out of the apartment.

* * *

Everything was ready. Hal was safely strapped into the cockpit of the Peregrine 2.0, which itself was primed and ready to go. The usual pre-takeoff parameters — atmospheric conditions, the plane's pressure and temperature measurements, sensitivity of aircraft control, and engine performance, among others — had already been undertaken and successfully passed. Flight test engineers and tech support members from both U.S.A.F. and Ferris Air were gathered in the control room, already evaluating the data acquired and prepared to analyze even more — or to warn Hal if the Peregrine looked like malfunctioning at any moment. The airfield was clear and the medical team was on standby. Even the weather was cooperating; the sky was cloudless and the sun had not reached its bright late-morning glare, so visibility was optimal — and there was a crisp, light autumn breeze blowing in the direction of the intended takeoff, which would only add more lift to the plane. In all honesty, the conditions couldn't have been more perfect.

That didn't stop Carol from nervously fidgeting with her fingernails, though.

"You seem overly anxious, Ms. Ferris," Col. Walters observed. The colonel was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark blond hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. Beside him, straight-backed and silent, stood another, shorter U.S.A.F. officer, whose name patch read _Hardy_.

"I apologize," said Carol. "I just can't get the failure of the last test out of my head. It was nearly fatal for our test pilot." She refrained from adding that said pilot had indeed died less than six weeks later — a fact that was contributing significantly to her current unease. Though the actual cause of Ace's death had been completely unrelated to the Peregrine disaster and therefore had no bearing on the risk of today's experiment, the coincidence still made her edgy.

"I have every confidence in Captain Jordan. He's one of our best."

"So do I," agreed Carol. She ignored the subtle implication by Walters that if the Peregrine failed again, it would be no fault of the pilot; blame this time would rest solely on the engineers and mechanics of Ferris Air. Carol knew there was more riding on this flight test than Hal's well-being; if it was unsuccessful, Ferris Air's long-standing contract with the Air Force would almost certainly be terminated.

 _"Peregrine to mission control,"_ Hal's voice came over the comm. speakers. _"Requesting permission for takeoff."_

"Whenever you're ready, Ms. Ferris," invited Col. Walters.

Carol forced herself to still her hands and pressed the button on the comm. "Mission Control to Peregrine, you are clear for takeoff."

 _"Copy that, mission control."_

Down on the airfield, Hal engaged the thrusters and nudged the throttle forward. Carol watched breathlessly as the Peregrine shot forward, rocketing down the runway at an incredible speed. The aircraft streaked across the airfield, its engine a loud but smooth purr, and before Carol knew it, the plane was in the air.

"Takeoff has exceeded expectations," Kalmaku noted; the Peregrine had used less than two-thirds of the precalculated runway length.

 _"Peregrine takeoff successful,"_ Hal reported at almost the same time. Carol had to smile at how official he was being. Though she knew that he had to be capable of formal discipline, given his job, it was rare that she got to see that side of him, instead of the cocky, devil-may-care attitude he often defaulted to. Hal's calm, assured demeanor alleviated her nerves somewhat, but Carol had overseen enough flight tests to know that the takeoff was the easy part.

The real trial was about to begin.

* * *

The entirety of the Justice League, with the exception of J'onn and Zatara, had gathered in the conference room for the second time in as many days. Batman had already briefed them all about Doctor Fate's conclusions about the nature of the crystal, and the sorcerer himself had reported that he had managed to confirm his suspicions after further study.

Flash, on the other hand, was still unable to identify exactly what it was that had enabled him to retain the presence of mind to vibrate his way out of the crystal, and it was unanimously agreed that he shouldn't try attempting to vibrate anyone else out until they had a clearer idea of how the stasis worked.

"What about Star Sapphire herself?" asked Aquaman. "Wouldn't she be able to reverse the stasis?"

"Most probably," agreed Doctor Fate.

Wildcat snorted. "Good luck getting her to agree to that."

"It's too bad J'onn was crystallized," Atom lamented. "He could have made her do it, or at least picked her brain to find out how we can do it."

"Even J'onn can't read a person's mind if he doesn't know where they are," Wonder Woman pointed out. "The first thing we need to do is bring Star Sapphire into our custody. _Then_ we can work out how to make her tell us what we need to know. I'm fairly certain that my lasso will work on her even with the distortion hard light causes to magical energies."

"I'm all for that idea," Zatanna concurred with a gleam in her eye. "And if it doesn't, I've been experimenting with mind-manipulating magics; give me a few minutes with her and I'm pretty sure I could get her to talk."

Batman frowned in disapproval.

"Don't look at me like that, Bruce. You know I wouldn't do it unnecessarily."

"That's a debate for later," interjected Black Canary. "I'm with Diana on this one — the first thing to do is to actually catch Star Sapphire."

"Easier said than done," Flash noted.

"Indeed," said Doctor Fate. "It would be prudent to consider just _who_ among us is able to confront her without getting crystallized."

"You mean, whoever _doesn't_ have someone they're missing," surmised Vixen.

"Precisely. And considering Star Sapphire's apparent vendetta against males, it might be best to restrict our choice to the ladies."

"Gee, thanks for throwing us in the firing line, Fate," Hawkgirl muttered, though there was no real offense in her tone. She was a warrior, after all, and she relished any opportunity to fight.

Superman, ever chivalrous, was somewhat more opposed to the idea. "Is that really necessary? I don't think Star Sapphire is going to have a problem fighting anyone, whether they're men or women."

"No, but we know for a fact that the crystal works on men," said Batman. "It may or may not work on women."

"I'll take that bet," Vixen asserted. "I've always liked a challenge."

"As will I," Wonder Woman agreed, exchanging a glance of knowing camaraderie with the African woman.

Black Canary threw her hat in the ring as well. "What the hell," she decided. "I don't have anyone I'm particularly longing for. I'm game."

"You know where I stand," said Zatanna.

"Zatanna. _No_. Your father," Batman cautioned.

"I haven't lost him, have I? I know he'll be okay once we break him out of that damn crystal."

"But you _did_ lose him for nine years. Even now, you're overprotective of him."

"I am not."

"You are," Aquaman put in. "It is plain to see, Zatanna. You should not risk it. With the Martian Manhunter out of commission, you are the only one who might possibly force the information we need from Star Sapphire should Diana's lasso fail to work around her hard light."

Zatanna looked mutinous, but a meaningful look from Batman silenced any objections.

"Fine," she hissed, disconsolately.

"Zatanna, there is no shame in wishing to protect your father," Aquaman said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Given your circumstances, it would be surprising if you were _not_ overprotective."

"And I suppose _you_ know how that feels, do you?"

"Ah, Zatanna…" Atom tried to warn.

"I do," Aquaman stated calmly.

Zatanna blinked, an expression of chagrin spreading across her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Aquaman inclined his head, but did not respond.

Vixen was the one who broke the tension. "What about you, Hawkgirl?" she inquired, glancing at the only female Leaguer yet to weigh in. "You in?"

Hawkgirl sighed, uncharacteristically glum. "Believe me, I'd love to, but I think I'd better sit this one out."

"What?" exclaimed Black Canary. "Why?"

"Because if Star Sapphire's crystal does work on women, I'll be the first one it gets." Without any further explanation, Hawkgirl stood up and strode out of the conference room.

* * *

The Peregrine climbed swiftly but steadily, and as Hal put it through more and more of its paces, Carol finally began to relax and convince herself that this was truly going to plan. Hal had already tested the Peregrine's power, maneuverability, altitude, and drag — all of which met or bettered the standards U.S.A.F. had outlined for its design — and was about to begin the next phase of testing: speed. The Peregrine had been built to attain velocities up to Mach 1.5, and in order to reach that speed it was crucial to generate enough thrust to propel the aircraft into supersonic flight. The demands required of the engines to accomplish this required a substantial surge of fuel, even beyond what was currently being burned to sustain the Peregrine's flight, to supply the afterburners. Carol estimated that Hal had already used up one of the tanks, so the extra fuel would most likely be drawn from a secondary tank.

 _"Activating afterburners,"_ Hal stated.

Even from the window of the observation deck, Carol glimpsed the bright orange glow at the rear of the Peregrine.

"So far, so good," Col. Walters commented.

That, of course, was when Hal's voice announced, _"Mission control, we have a problem."_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I will try to keep updates from now on semi-regular, but don't expect new chapters so soon, because I'm running out of pre-written chapters and I won't have much time to write for the next four months. I don't mean that there'll be three months between each update (heaven forbid!), but expect 2-3 weeks, maybe 4 if I forget (as I've proved I'm wont to do, with this fic).**_

 _ **On the bright side, your reviews do keep me going, and inspire me to find time to work on the last few chapters in between my classes and assignments and other activities. I'm not just saying that to get reviews either - hearing from my readers (especially those as detailed as** dorizard **) genuinely motivates me to get my ass in gear to wrap up this fic. It's textbook operational conditioning - being rewarded for something makes one continue doing that something (can you guess I'm a psychology major?).**_


	15. In a Brown Study

**_A/N: So, it's been a solid month since I last updated. Sorry to keep you all waiting, but here's Chapter 14! Much thanks to_** _dorizard **for reviewing, and to the few who have since added this story to their favorites or alerts.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: In a Brown Study**

Hal knew something was wrong the instant he pressed the button to engage the afterburners. Ensconced as he was in the cockpit, the sound of the Peregrine's engines was but a low buzzing to his ears — comparable to the hum one hears when inside a moving car — conducted through the vibrations running along the frame of the aircraft. But to anyone outside the plane, the action of the afterburners should have produced a sonic boom. Hal, of course, couldn't hear that the roar of the afterburners was nowhere near what it should have been, but he _could_ feel the sudden interruption in the rhythm of the engines. The constant vibrations hitched and became choking sputters as his instruments started fluctuating.

"Not good," he muttered. "Mission control," he said into the comm., "we have a problem."

 _"What's the problem?"_ Carol had a tense edge to her voice.

"I can't be certain, but I think the plane's experiencing fuel starvation." The cockpit shuddered as the engine spat and coughed some more. "Yeah, definitely fuel starvation."

 _"Captain Jordan, can you regain control?"_ Col. Walters' tone was clipped with underlying concern, but calm and authoritative as only a seasoned officer's could be.

Hal quickly glanced at his instruments. He was losing altitude fast, engine pressure was approaching critical levels, and in a matter of seconds he would lose all power.

"I'll try, sir."

 _"Understood, Captain. Be careful."_

The first thing Hal did was to try to relight the engines. When that failed, he gripped the steering yoke firmly in both hands and attempted to guide the shaking plane on its involuntary descent. The plane fought him, its engines straining alarmingly; he gritted his teeth as he wrestled with the controls.

And then the engines completely died.

Hal did not panic. An aircraft did not immediately stop and drop like a stone when its engines failed; it would keep moving on its course, gradually losing height and speed, but it was possible to control the descent and safely land the plane. Hal was an experienced pilot, and he'd had to deal with system failures before — not just on flight tests, but on actual U.S.A.F. missions. He was confident he could save the Peregrine.

"Peregrine to mission control," Hal addressed them. "Engines have failed. Initiating forced landing."

A warning blared, and Hal's eyes whipped to the temperature gauge; it was rising sharply.

"Shit," he swore. The engines were overheating; and without fuel to power the turbofan, he had no way of cooling the system.

 _"Hal, what's going on?"_ Carol demanded anxiously.

"The engine's overheating. It might not hold out until the landing. I'll try to bring it down, but I can't give you guarantees."

Hal kept one eye on the temperature gauge as he expertly guided the aircraft down. The Peregrine dipped, looking graceful even as it sank lower and lower to the ground. By contrast, its engine temperature climbed higher and higher with each passing minute. The vital component now was time; if the Peregrine could land before the engines combusted, there might still be a happy ending to this flight test. But if the temperature passed the critical point while the plane was still in the air, even the most skilled pilot in the world wouldn't be able to save the Peregrine. Hal wasn't even sure whether he would be able to eject in time if it came to the worst-case scenario.

He sincerely hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

* * *

Hawkgirl's unexpected reaction caused a bit of a stir among her fellow Leaguers, but a pointed clearing of the throat from Batman indicated that the meeting still had to continue. Most of the heroes took the hint, though a few were a bit reluctant to simply resume.

"Shouldn't we go talk to her?" Flash asked, already halfway rising from his seat.

"Feel free to do that _after_ we're finished," Batman told him.

"But —"

"Flash, she likely doesn't want company right now," Atom said reasonably. "If she says Star Sapphire's crystal would work on her, she's got a very good reason not to want to talk about it."

Wonder Woman and Black Canary exchanged significant glances, both thinking along similar lines, but said nothing.

Superman chose that moment to interject, "Okay, so Diana, Canary, and Vixen are all able to fight Star Sapphire…" He paused. "What about Batman and Doctor Fate?" he asked, looking at the members in question. "After all, you've already proved that her crystal can't touch you."

"Certainly, if I'm needed, I will be there," Doctor Fate assented readily, "However, I feel that at present, I am of better use studying the crystal."

"What he said," Batman concurred. "I'll work with Flash, try to isolate his emotional state at the time of his escape."

"Joy," muttered Flash under his breath.

Superman glanced around at the other men in the room — Aquaman, Wildcat, and the Atom. "Are you sure none of you might be immune to the crystal like Batman and Fate? I'd volunteer myself to help the ladies, but I did lose my planet."

"Superman, we can handle Star Sapphire," Wonder Woman said confidently before any of the males could speak.

"Yeah, relax, Boy Scout," said Black Canary. "Your chivalrous concern is noted and appreciated, but we can take care of ourselves."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"We are," Vixen affirmed.

"All right, so the three ladies will be on standby to take on Star Sapphire the next time she's sighted, while Batman and Doctor Fate work with Flash to figure out how to free the victims," Superman summarized.

"And the rest of us can handle any other issue that comes up," Wildcat added.

"A fair arrangement," Aquaman acquiesced. "Have we completed the discussion? There are some matters in Atlantis that require my attention."

"We're done," Batman confirmed. "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Carol fidgeted anxiously as she waited for further information about the Peregrine. Walters and Hardy, experienced pilots, were alert and tense, but not overly so, and Hardy had yet to even say a word. Carol tried to copy their composure, but it wasn't taking.

The technicians were meticulously tracking every bit of data being transmitted from the powerless plane, but without access to the aircraft itself there was very little they could do to help. Aside from performance readouts and altitude measurements, there was nothing they could tell Carol about how the situation was unfolding; and the Peregrine itself was out of sight of the observation tower. Hal gave them occasional terse, but calm reports, but Carol knew most of his attention would be on controlling the plane. Thus far, nothing particularly troubling had occurred; aside from the rising temperature of the engines, the Peregrine's descent was proceeding smoothly.

Then came the statement she had been dreading.

 _"Temperature's spiked!"_

"Abort!" Walters commanded sharply. "Jordan, abort mission! Do you copy?"

At that instant, all readings the technicians had been getting from the plane vanished. Debbie Darnell, who had been watching the radar, reported that the Peregrine had also disappeared from their instruments.

"The plane must have exploded," Hardy surmised, speaking for the first time this morning.

Carol had her hand over her mouth in horror. "Hal…"

"He would have ejected," said Walters confidently.

"Only if he had time," Tom Kalmaku murmured bleakly.

"Captain Jordan is one of our best," Walters reiterated. "And he's escaped worse situations before. Until we find his body, his death is not confirmed."

Carol finally recovered her wits. "Darnell, send a chopper to the Peregrine's last known location," she ordered. "Scan for any signs of Jordan."

"Yes, ma'am."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Carol knew Ferris Air was screwed where U.S.A.F. was concerned, but all she could think of right now was her worry for Hal.

 _If you die, Hal Jordan, I will never forgive you._

* * *

There was a platform on the Watchtower that was referred to as the 'crow's nest', because it was literally modelled after one — only, instead of looking out over sea as a regular ship's crow's nest did, it overlooked the main monitor womb where most of the station's main operations took place. The crow's nest provided not just excellent sight of the many monitors in the control hub, but also a breathtaking view of Earth.

It also happened to be one of Hawkgirl's favorite places on the Watchtower (though whether that was because of the view, its avian association, or a feeling of being in charge, no one had quite figured out), so it was the first place Flash looked after the meeting. Sure enough, the lost Thanagarian was perched in her usual spot, leaning against the railing overlooking the vast window that revealed the deep blue-green planet the station watched over.

"Hey," Flash greeted.

"Hey," Hawkgirl returned, without looking away from the Earth. Her voice was calm and composed, but her face was pensive — and Flash couldn't get out of his mind the dejected look on her face when she'd said Star Sapphire's crystal would target her.

"So, uh…" Flash fumbled awkwardly, wondering how to broach the topic. While she didn't come close to Batman's level, Hawkgirl was still a rather private person by nature.

Flash had suspected for a long time that she had her own past, but although he and Hawkgirl had been friends since before the League, he knew next to nothing about said past.  
Nevertheless, he still counted Hawkgirl as one of his closest friends in the League, after Hal, and the most important thing now wasn't her past.

"Are you okay?" he inquired sincerely.

Hawkgirl shrugged. "More or less."

It was clearly meant to be a noncommittal response to get him off her back, but Flash was flexible enough to take it in stride and stubborn enough to run with it. "More more or more less?"

Hawkgirl shot him a pointed glance.

"Look, Shayera, I don't care who you lost that makes you think Star Sapphire would get you," Flash told her candidly. "I just want to make sure you'll be okay. Trust me, getting trapped in that crystal is not fun."

"I'll bet." Hawkgirl met his eyes seriously. "Are you really okay?" She'd only learned about the crystal incident just before the meeting this morning.

"Hey, weren't we talking about you?"

Hawkgirl smiled sadly. "We were. But I know how you feel about your uncle, Wally." She'd been the one to deliver the news, as she'd been the only one aboard the Watchtower when Wally woke up from his coma — coincidentally just a few seconds after Barry had perished on Earth. Hal, Iris, and Linda Park had been the ones who helped Wally most through his grief, but Hawkgirl had been the one to hold him when he broke down after first hearing about Barry's death.

Now it was Flash's turn to shrug. Hawkgirl understood, and said nothing, and for a while there was silence. Wally reflected that if he'd been talking to Hal instead of Hawkgirl, the Green Lantern would have tried to get him to talk. Hal didn't do too well with emotionally-charged silences — if he couldn't get someone to talk about their issues, he usually tried to steer the conversation to other subjects. Hawkgirl, on the other hand, understood that there were times when words were simply not necessary. In a way, the three of them — Flash, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern — had been the secondary trio to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman's trinity. _Which leaves J'onn alone out of the Original Seven,_ Flash realized; but then, the Martian had always been the most solitary of the League's Founders.

"What was it like?" Hawkgirl asked suddenly. "In the crystal?"

Flash did not respond immediately, turning instead to look at Earth's shimmering form.

"It was…conflicting," he confessed. "It kept showing me Barry, and all the good times we had together, like a trip down memory lane. And there was…something — I don't know what it was — but it kept trying to soothe me, to make me relax into the memories and enjoy being with Barry again. It was trying to make me happy. But some part of me knew something wasn't right, knew these memories were supposed to hurt, so it was like I was being pulled in two different directions. And then I started vibrating, and next thing I knew I was out."

"So you got to be with Barry, in a way," surmised Hawkgirl.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it was more like a dream, and it hurt when I came back to reality and realized it wasn't real — but for a few seconds, I was happy." Flash glanced at her.

"Why did you want to know?"

Hawkgirl exhaled slowly. "Because I don't think I'll ever see _my_ lost love again."

Flash stared at her, not only because of her admission, but because he had never, in five years of knowing her, ever heard Hawkgirl sound so sad, and he didn't know what to say. Fortunately, she spared him the necessity by speaking up again.

"I had a fiancé back on Thanagar. We were both in the military, but not the same unit — I was in espionage, he was in special forces. We were stationed at the same base, and since his unit mostly worked off information gathered by my unit, we saw a lot of each other, and eventually we just…realized we'd fallen in love. We made a betrothal pact the day before I set out for a reconnaissance mission."

"Wait," said Flash. "Was that _the_ reconnaissance mission? The one you were on when you got into the accident?"

"The same," Hawkgirl confirmed. "The wormhole generator overloaded and I couldn't get out before it blew up. Next thing I know, I'm on a planet so far away from home I barely know enough to recognize its name."

"There's no way for you to get back?"

Hawkgirl shook her head. "Earth's technology is too primitive to travel the kind of distances that wormhole generator manipulates, and no one here has the slightest idea where Thanagar is. Even I'm not sure which direction the wormhole went through."

"You never thought to ask Hal? Thanagar has to be one of the planets protected by the Green Lanterns, right?"

Hawkgirl smiled a sad smile. "Thanagar is an advanced militaristic planet with a healthy sense of paranoia and an isolationist policy, Wally. We put up a planet-wide cloaking shield decades ago, to prevent interference from the Green Lantern Corps, among others. The Green Lantern of our sector would know Thanagar is in their domain, but they wouldn't be able to get me there. Only a Thanagarian would be able to do that. And my colleagues think I'm dead, so they won't come looking for me. I'm stuck here, Wally." She sighed heavily. "I haven't seen Katar's face for six years. I barely remember what he looks like."

"It's not worth it, Shay," Flash said sympathetically, immediately understanding, now that he knew her story, why she'd asked about the crystal. "The crystal shows you a beautiful dream, but it's not real, and you'd waste your life trapped in there with an illusion. K—Katar, was it? — wouldn't want that for you."

"I know," she admitted. "Barry wouldn't have wanted it for you, either."

"I know he wouldn't," Flash conceded readily. "Even seeing him alive and well in the crystal, I knew." Then his eyes widened and his jaw went slack. "I _knew_ ," he breathed.

"Wally?"

"That's how I got out!" he exclaimed. "I gotta tell Bats." He zipped off without another word, leaving Hawkgirl to gaze at Earth and wonder what Katar would have thought of the planet she now called home.

* * *

It was nearly four hours before Hal Jordan was finally located, in a small thicket of shrubs and rocks about four miles from where the Peregrine had crashed and burned. He was bruised, grimy, and scratched, but most definitely alive, and was waving both arms enthusiastically to flag down the search chopper. Carol, Colonel Walters, and Hardy (whom Carol had finally learned was a Captain, like Hal) were all on the helicopter, having joined the search personally when the first and second sweeps had failed to discover any trace of where Hal had landed.

"Well, it's about time," Hal said lightly. "It's hot out here."

"Oh…you…" Carol glared at him, so relieved that he was alive and so annoyed by his flippancy that the combination of the two was rendering her momentarily speechless.

Col. Walters, on the other hand, seemed to appreciate Hal's lightheartedness. "It's good to see you in one piece, Jordan."

"It's good to _be_ in one piece, sir," Hal returned cheerfully.

"No doubt," Walters chuckled. "Are you injured at all?"

"Nothing a day's rest wouldn't cure, sir."

"Marvelous," Walters said genuinely. "Come on in, Jordan — I'm sure you'd like to get out of this heat, and get cleaned up."

"Yes, sir," Hal agreed, climbing into the helicopter. "Hey, Hardy."

"Hello, Jordan," Hardy greeted with a wry smile. "You're one lucky bastard, aren't you?"

"Nah, it was a simple ejection and parachute landing, nothing I haven't done before."

"Lucky the ejector didn't jam, like it did in Ecuador."

"It did, actually," Hal admitted, causing Carol to turn and stare at him in dismay. "Took some doing getting it to work right, and the trajectory was very unpredictable."

"It seems that more than one thing wasn't quite right on this project," Walters said neutrally. He wasn't addressing anyone in particular, but Carol knew the statement was meant for her. Hal knew it, too, because he immediately shut up and threw Carol an apologetic look, which she ignored.

It was a fairly tense ride back to Ferris Air, and Walters only spoke again once they landed.

"Jordan, if I'm not mistaken, you were supposed to report to base this afternoon after the flight test, weren't you?"

"Yes, sir," Hal confirmed.

"Take the day off. I'll see you on base tomorrow evening."

Hal saluted. "Yes, sir, thank you."

"And Ms. Ferris…" Walters turned to Carol. "Consider our contract terminated, effective immediately. I'd involve our respective legal counsels to negotiate the cessation of our working relationship, but I'm sure you're as keen as I am to put this whole business quietly behind us."

Carol had known this was coming, but her heart still sank. "Yes, Colonel."

"Good. Then I'll have my superiors send over the necessary paperwork for you to sign within the month. On behalf of the United States Air Force, I thank you for Ferris Air's work for the last ten years, and I regret that our partnership has to come to an end this way. Good day to you." He nodded politely and marched off the helipad, Capt. Hardy on his heels.

"I'm sorry," Hal said earnestly once his superior had left. "I tried my best, Carol, I really did, but the core temperature shot up so fast —"

"It's not your fault, Hal," Carol sighed. "Once the Peregrine started having problems in the air, the contract was bound to be broken, whether or not you managed to save the plane." Her face softened as she met his eyes, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you're okay."

She left without giving him any opportunity to respond. Hal watched her go with a frown, noting the dejected set of her shoulders and the frustrated lilt to her walk. Ferris Air meant the world to Carol, and its long-standing agreement with U.S.A.F. had been one of the company's greatest achievements. Hal knew there had to be about a hundred things running through Carol's mind at the moment, chief among them the concern about how this would impact Ferris Air's reputation and where the company would go from here.

Hal, however, was occupied with a different thought. The flight test situation today had been exceedingly similar to the circumstances that had downed the first Peregrine. Both models had tested well all through the development stages with no hiccups, both had been reviewed and examined thoroughly to satisfaction, both had been checked over before their respective flight tests with nothing amiss…and yet both had come to utter ruin due to an unexpected and inexplicable engine malfunction midway through the flight test. Hal didn't believe in coincidences, and his gut was telling him that something was off here. He'd been wrong about a lot of things in his life — his ability to be a Green Lantern, his worth as a hero, his place in Carol's life…but one thing he was absolutely sure of was that Ferris Air was not to blame for either of the Peregrine disasters. Once could plausibly have been an unlucky freak incident, but twice meant sabotage.

With grim determination, Hal decided then and there that he would find out who had sabotaged the Peregrine.

Because there was one more chilling similarity between the two plane failures.

Both were meant to be piloted by him.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hal's in one of those periods when everything seems to be conspiring against him somehow. Anyone ever felt that way?**_

 _ **As always, reviews make my day! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the current happenings in this fic and your predictions for what might happen. I'll try to get the next chapter up before the end of the month.**_


	16. Purple Heart

_**A/N: Hey, look, it hasn't quite been a month this time!**_

 _ **Thanks to** dorizard **for the customary lovely long review, and to Taiski, ddsurvivor, and Bluebell20 for favoriting/subscribing. If y'all wanna say a few words, please do leave a review so I can hear what you're thinking! For now, though, enjoy Chapter Fifteen.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen: Purple Heart**

"This _has_ to be the most frustrating case we've ever had," Flash lamented, as yet another attempt to break out their captive members from their crystal prison failed. Despite a full week of solid work, they were no closer to freeing J'onn and Zatara than they were at the beginning, and the strain was beginning to show.

"Are you sure your so-called epiphany was on the right track?" Batman questioned pointedly.

"Absolutely," Flash said with conviction. "There's no way I would've gotten out if I wasn't sure that Barry wouldn't want me to live in a dream for the rest of my life. If it weren't for that knowledge, I think I would've preferred to stay there," he admitted.

Flash's assumption — that the captive had to realize and accept the knowledge that their lost loved one wouldn't want them to wallow on memory lane in order to break free of the crystal's grip — had made sense in theory, but as the last ten days had proved, it was much more difficult to put into practice. How was one supposed to communicate to a crystal-trapped individual the importance of letting go of a dearly-held, but fruitless dream?

It was a major complication that their only telepath was himself a victim, and so couldn't attempt to communicate telepathically with the crystallized men. Their latest efforts had been focused on trying to reach J'onn somehow, reasoning that if they could get him to realize what was happening, he would be able to release himself from the crystal — possibly with Flash's vibrational help — and then from there try to project the truth into the other victims' minds.

"Isn't there anyone else who might be able to help us?" Zatanna demanded. She'd taken to hanging about the laboratory whenever she could, to the point of annoying the research trio of Batman, Flash, and Doctor Fate — but all had let it pass unmentioned. It had barely been a year since she'd reunited with her father, and her separation anxiety still ran deep. Zatara's long disappearance had left her with more scars than she usually allowed to show.

"Telepathy is not a common ability," said Doctor Fate. "There are very few telepaths I am aware of, and none I know well enough to trust with a matter this delicate."

Flash's eyes suddenly widened as a new thought occurred to him. "Maybe we're going about this wrong."

Batman quirked an eyebrow, a clear indication for him to continue.

"It's not their mind we have to reach, not really. It's their emotions," Flash clarified. "Maybe we don't need a telepath so much as an empath."

Batman considered that for all of two seconds before nodding. "Make the call."

Flash sped out of the lab just as Black Canary walked in, scowling like a thundercloud, followed closely by Vixen.

"I take it your latest encounter didn't go well?" Doctor Fate said mildly.

In the same time that he, Batman, and Flash had been working in the lab, Star Sapphire had popped up in various locations in Coast City on several occasions — and, as had been agreed by the League, Wonder Woman, Vixen, and Black Canary had been attempting to deal with her each time. Unfortunately, they had been having about as much luck as their research counterparts. Superman had considered putting one or two more members on the 'Star Sapphire squad', but no one wanted to risk losing more Leaguers to her nefarious crystal, and the three ladies had so far proved immune to the stuff, even if they were still infuriatingly unable to get the better of the woman herself.

"You could say that," Vixen agreed with chagrin. "Canary screamed herself hoarse at Star Sapphire — not that it helped."

Canary huffed wordlessly as she marched to the cabinet that housed the League's collection of basic drugs and medication, and reached for the lozenges Wildcat had had specially formulated for her. Considering her power and the strength of her larynx, Canary didn't often require them, but when she overworked her throat in battle they worked wonders.

"Where's Diana?" Batman inquired.

"Where else?" said Vixen. "Analyzing battle footage." The Amazon seemed to take it as a personal affront that Star Sapphire kept giving them the slip, and had taken to reviewing footage from traffic cams after every encounter in the hopes of finding a vulnerability they could exploit the next time.

"Batman," Hawkgirl called as she too entered the increasingly crowded lab. "You need to see this."

* * *

The call to Titans Tower interrupted the normal breakfast routine of the tofu vs. meat argument, much to Raven's relief. While Cyborg and Beast Boy were not nearly as vociferous or whole-hearted as they had been in the beginning, they still engaged in this ridiculous debate out of pure habit. _Why_ they still insisted on arguing over each other's food choices when it was clear that neither was ever going to change his eating lifestyle was almost as much a mystery to the empath as the evident closeness of their unconventional friendship, and she could only conclude that they derived some weird sort of enjoyment from the otherwise pointless verbal tussles. As the regular witness to their culinary quarrels over the last three years, Raven had learned more than she ever wanted to know about the content, production, preparation, benefits, and drawbacks of both omnivore and vegan diets.

"Thank Azar," she murmured as the sharp ring of the main communications hub cut off whatever Beast Boy had been saying about his chosen breakfast today (carrots).

Nightwing was just answering the call by the time Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy entered the main room, and Starfire and Wonder Girl were both coming in the other door, so they all saw the Flash's image light up the giant plasma screen.

"Wally?" Nightwing uttered in surprise.

 _"Hey, Titans,"_ the once-member greeted them, before looking straight at the Tower's resident empath. _"Raven, we need your help."_

* * *

While Flash was explaining the situation to the Titans and prepping the transporter to beam up Raven, Batman, Hawkgirl, and a curious Vixen examined the news headlines and video footage pouring in from all over the U.S.A. There was a lot of information, but they were all basically saying the same thing.

 _ **NEW GREEN LANTERN SPOTTED IN DETROIT**_

Voices from multiple news channels streaming live from Earth were also putting in their own two cents.

 _"After months of inactivity, it appears the Green Lantern has resurfaced…"_

 _" — in Detroit, of all places…"_

 _"— but this is a different, person, clearly —"_

 _"…no mask? That's new…"_

Vixen fixated on recent video footage of the Green Lantern efficiently dealing with a group of street gangsters. "Is that —"

"No," answered Batman, already typing. "This is a new one."

"Think he can help us with Star Sapphire?" inquired Hawkgirl.

"Possibly." Batman quickly scanned the computer for the data he wanted. "His name is John Stewart."

Hawkgirl was used to the Dark Knight's rapid detective work by now, but Vixen was amazed. "How did you —"

"He's making no effort to conceal his identity. It's child's play."

"He's either very brave or very foolish," Hawkgirl commented. Even she, an alien from another planet with absolutely no family on Earth, maintained a secret identity as Kendra Saunders, cumbersome as it was to conceal her wings when she was in civvies. She was a former espionage agent — secrecy was important to her.

"Satellite readings show he's still out on patrol. Go grab Superman and pay him a visit," Batman instructed.

"Sure." Hawkgirl glanced at Vixen. "You wanna come?" she offered.

The beautiful African shook her head. "I'm supposed to be in Paris for a dinner date in an hour."

Hawkgirl smirked. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"The director of my next photo shoot." Vixen winked. "And he only wishes he were that lucky."

* * *

Downtown Detroit was nothing like Coast City. The latter had its fair share of seedy locations, but Detroit in general was a grimier, grittier place than Coast City. Moreover, Detroit had only just gained its own resident superhero, so when Superman and Hawkgirl appeared on the sidewalk, they stuck out like sore thumbs — even more so than when their teammates had popped up in Coast City.

"See him anywhere?" Hawkgirl questioned, ignoring the gawking pedestrians. _Really, you'd think they'd be used to this by now,_ she thought dryly.

Superman — who was attracting most of the stares — scanned the sky, and nodded towards the east, where a green figure was steadily coming closer. "There he is now."

The approaching Green Lantern looked nothing like the man Superman and Hawkgirl had worked with for the past two and a half years. He was shorter and stockier, broader in the shoulders, squarer in the jaw. His eyes were a darker brown, his crew-cut hair black, and his skin was nearly the same shade as Hawkgirl's preferred morning coffee.

John Stewart landed in front of them with an expression that was a cross between suspicion and curiosity. He carried himself with purpose and discipline; his posture bespoke strength and charisma, but it held none of the cockiness that tended to lace Hal's bearing. This was a man who was utterly confident in himself and his decisions, who would take no nonsense from anyone.

Hawkgirl liked him already.

"Let me guess; you two are here to check out the newcomer," the Green Lantern said dryly.

"Not exactly, but we'll get into that later." Superman held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Superman."

"Yeah, I know who you are." John snorted, but he shook the Kryptonian's hand. "John Stewart. New Green Lantern of Sector 2814." He glanced at the other visitor. "And you're Hawkgirl. You work in Midway, right?"

"Yes, I do," Hawkgirl affirmed. "I guess that kind of makes us neighbors."

"Yeah, well, don't expect me to be popping up there anytime soon. Apparently one guy's supposed to be enough to cover an entire freaking galactic sector" — his distaste for that particular logistic was clear — "so I'll have my hands full even when there isn't a full-blown space war going on."

"Space war?" Superman had been about to get into the reason they were visiting, but John's words gave him pause.

"Yeah, the Green Lantern Corps vs. the Thunderers of Qward." John arched an eyebrow. "Didn't your Green Lantern tell you?"

"No, he never mentioned anything about a war," Superman said with a frown, trading a glance with Hawkgirl.

A certain suspicion was beginning to form in Hawkgirl's mind. While she wasn't as close to him as Flash was, she had come to know Hal fairly well — they'd bonded somewhat over their military backgrounds, and they'd spent quite a bit of time together while working on the Watchtower's teleport system, and then again when Wally had been comatose and they were both worrying about him. When Hal quit, Flash — and most of the other Leaguers, save Batman — had accepted his reasoning without question; but Hal's assertion that he had simply 'come to the conclusion' that he wasn't cut out for hero work had never quite rung true for Hawkgirl, particularly given the fact that he had just regained mastery of his ring. In Shayera's mind, something big _had_ to have happened to spur Hal's decision. She'd been wondering what that something was for weeks, and now it looked like she'd finally find out. All she needed to do was put a simple question to John; if his answer matched up with what she was thinking…

"When did the war begin?"

"About a month ago," replied Hal's successor.

"That's right about when our Green Lantern quit," Superman said unthinkingly, echoing Hawkgirl's thoughts.

John scoffed. "Really? They didn't tell me that part. I guess he wasn't much of a soldier, then, if one battle made him throw in the towel."

Hawkgirl frowned; she might not think much of what she now knew to be Hal's knee-jerk resignation either, but that didn't give the new Green Lantern the right to look down on the man he had replaced. This John Stewart had no idea what Hal had gone through in the weeks leading up to the attack, and Shayera felt like retorting that _he_ wouldn't have done much better if he had been betrayed by his mentor and forced to testify against him in an intergalactic court, and then lost his closest friend while carrying a burden of guilt for not being able to save him.

Instead, she asked another question. "How bad was that battle? I'm guessing it's the one which started the war."

"Yeah," John confirmed, still unaware of the Thanagarian's indignation on his predecessor's behalf. "It was bad. I wasn't there, obviously, but the others told me it was a massacre. The Thunderers launched a coordinated surprise attack, killed half the Corps, and destroyed most of Oa."

He said it all very matter-of-factly. Hawkgirl stared at him.

"And you wonder why the previous GL wanted to quit?"

John scowled, finally noting her displeasure. "Look, lady, this thing might be happening in space, but a war's a war, and not everyone has the stomach for it. I get that. But you'd think that anyone who got picked to wear this ring would know how to deal with the consequences, and your guy clearly didn't."

"And you do?" Hawkgirl said scathingly. Her initial favorable impression of the new Green Lantern was fast souring.

"Yeah, I do," John stated defiantly. "These guys are fighting with fancy energy and anti-matter weapons, but I was in the Marines, in Afghanistan, and _nothing_ compares to the horrors of a desperate guerrilla war. We fought up close and personal with literally anything we could get our hands on — guns, tanks, knives, grenades, minefields, you name it — they ain't pretty. Once you've seen the things I've seen, you can handle anything."

He met her gaze belligerently, as if daring her to contradict him, but Hawkgirl remained silent. She hadn't expected that revelation.

Superman, meanwhile, was looking warily from John to Shayera. "I think we'd better get back to the reason we're here," he said cautiously.

"Let's," John agreed. "I don't have all day. So what do you want?"

"We're trying to track down a supervillain known as Star Sapphire."

Confusion shifted John's features. "Isn't that the meta in Coast City? The one that's going around crystallizing men?"

"How do you know about that?" questioned Hawkgirl. As far as she knew Coast City's mayor had been attempting to keep the incidents quiet.

"The story broke on national press this morning. It's all over the papers."

Hawkgirl turned to look at Superman. Nothing noteworthy ever escaped the _Daily Planet_ 's attention; if other papers outside Coast City had picked this up, the Planet surely would have too.

Superman nodded in confirmation. "There's a front-page feature on almost every newspaper in the country about it."

"Great," Hawkgirl muttered sarcastically. She'd never liked the press.

"What's Star Sapphire got to do with me?" asked John. "She's not in my city."

"We have reason to believe that Star Sapphire might have a connection to the planet Zamaron," explained Superman.

"So?"

"Our Green Lantern told us that Zamaron has a special significance in the history of the Green Lantern Corps. He suggested that we might be able to find more information about Zamaron — and by extension Star Sapphire — in the library on Oa."

John's eyebrows rose. "Oh, now I get it. You need a Green Lantern to help you access this library."

"Yes," Superman admitted candidly.

"Sounds to me like you're just hoping for a clue."

"We are. Sixty-eight men have been trapped in Star Sapphire's crystal, including two of our own members. We're working on a way to free them, but it's not going well so far. We're hoping that we can make Star Sapphire tell us how to do it, once we catch her — but we need to find her first."

"What makes you think Star Sapphire's going to tell you anything?"

"She probably won't, not willingly, anyway — but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, if her powers are somehow linked with Zamaron, there might be something in Oa's library to help us figure it out on our own, even if we can't get her to talk."

"Are you going to help us or not?" Hawkgirl asked bluntly.

John considered for a long moment. "I don't think I can," he admitted finally. "Oa's on lockdown at the moment; no one is allowed planetside except Guardians and Green Lanterns. We're expecting an attack any day now."

Superman's brow creased. "Well, what if —" He suddenly cut himself off mid-suggestion as his super-hearing picked up something. Hawkgirl, recognizing his stance, curled her fingers around the mace at her belt.

"What is it?"

Before Superman could answer, a blaze of violet light burst from the clouds. John instinctively reacted, willing a green shield around all of them — but nothing struck against his defenses…yet. The new Green Lantern followed the two Leaguers' gazes to the woman hovering in the sky.

"So you're the new Green Lantern," Star Sapphire observed disdainfully. "I expected…more."

"Yeah? Why don't you attack me and find out what 'more' I can give you," he challenged.

"Lantern, don't…" Hawkgirl warned.

"I can take her," John insisted.

A maliciously delighted smile curled Star Sapphire's lips. "Let's see, shall we?"

And she struck.

* * *

 _ **A/N: We're roughly at the two-third mark of the story now.**_


	17. Black and Blue

_**A/N: Sorry to have kept y'all waiting for over a month! It's amazing what you can forget when life is speeding along at a wonderful 200mph.**_

 _ **Thanks to** dorizard **for the review!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen: Black and Blue**

Flash greeted Raven with a smile when the Watchtower's teleporter brought the empath up.

"Hey, Raven. It's good to see you." Though he'd only been with the Titans for a few months before he joined the other Founders to start the League, he had managed to spend some quality time with all of them, particularly Raven. From the beginning, the mystical girl had intrigued him, and though she obviously restricted her emotions, the two had formed a certain connection that might possibly have developed into something more if Flash had stayed with the Titans longer. As it was, time and distance had cooled Wally's initial crush into platonic affection, and his heart gravitated more and more towards Linda Park these days.

"Likewise, Wally," Raven returned with the smallest hint of a smile. Two years with the Titans had loosened her up slightly, but she was still very reserved.

"This is Vixen, and you know Batman," Flash said, pointing out the only other two people on the bridge.

"Raven," Batman acknowledged. Vixen merely waved, already keying in the coordinates for her beam-down. "The lab is this way." He set off at a brisk pace, and the two younger heroes followed him.

"So, Rae, how've you been?" queried Flash. "How's the Tower, how's everyone?"

"Everyone is fine. The Tower is still standing, though not for lack of trying."

Flash blinked. "I knew the T-shape was a bad idea. You guys are living in what's practically a neon sign _inviting_ villains to attack it."

Raven's face took on a wry smirk. "It's not villains who've been trying to bring the Tower down — though we've had a few attempts," she admitted. "But frankly, I'm amazed Vic and Gar haven't brought the whole building down with their arguments alone."

"They're still fighting? I didn't think they'd still be that bad."

"They're not that bad," conceded Raven. "They're worse."

"What is it with best friends and fighting?" Flash wanted to know. "Dick and Roy can insult each other like there's no tomorrow, Wildcat and Black Canary always seem ready to bicker, and Superman and Batman —"

"Flash," came the warning rumble.

"— are the best pair of super friends ever seen," Flash course-corrected. "Though that doesn't stop them from butting heads during League meetings." He blithely ignored the glare the Dark Knight was sending his way.

Batman, for his part, decided a response was beneath him, and swept into the laboratory without another word. Doctor Fate and Zatanna had been waiting, and they both straightened when Raven entered the room. That in itself wasn't odd, but neither Batman nor Flash missed the way the two sorcerers tensed as the Titan drew closer.

"Raven…" Zatanna began, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Calmly, Zatanna," cautioned Fate, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hello, Raven," he greeted. "It's been some time." His voice was warm and welcoming, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent of wariness in it as well. A silent look of understanding passed between him, Raven, and Zatanna.

"Raven?" Flash questioned, glancing uncertainly between the three.

"What's going on?" Batman demanded.

Ignoring him, Zatanna smiled wanly at Raven. "It is good to see you, Raven. I'd shake your hand, but…"

"I know. You sense it."

"Sense what?" Batman growled.

Once again, he was ignored.

"It's growing," Fate said solemnly.

"It's under control," Raven replied, equally seriously.

"How old are you now, Raven?" asked Zatanna.

"Almost nineteen."

Zatanna nodded to herself, like she had expected this. "Next year, then."

"Yes."

"Do the Titans know?"

"Not yet, but I will tell them before the date."

"Good," approved Doctor Fate. "You'll need them to keep you strong."

Batman marched over and deliberately placed himself in the middle of their discussion. _"What. Is. Going. On."_

"Not everything concerns you, Bruce," Zatanna snapped. "This has nothing to do with you."

"The hell it doesn't. Dick is part of the Titans. If something's going to threaten them —" His piercing gaze shifted to Raven. "— I want to know about it."

Raven met his hard expression with resolution in her dark eyes, and when she spoke, her voice was full of steely conviction. "I promise you, Batman, nothing's going to threaten them. I won't let it."

He wasn't satisfied. "What is _it_?"

"Something that, if all goes well, we will not need to worry about," interjected Doctor Fate.

"And if it _doesn't_ go well?"

"It will," Raven said firmly. "I won't lie, Batman. There _is_ a danger, but I know what to do. I _will_ handle it. Nothing's going to happen to the Titans or anyone else."

"That's not good enough," Batman insisted. "I need to know what it is. If you fail, there needs to be a contingency plan."

"Bruce, lay off," Flash intervened.

"No. I don't know what this issue is, but if it goes wrong and she can't stop it after all —"

"You're looking at the worst-case scenario again," Flash said pointedly. "I don't know what's going on either, but if Raven says she's got it under control, I trust her."

"As do I," Doctor Fate added.

"Me too," agreed Zatanna. She was still carefully keeping her distance from Raven, but there was no hesitation in her voice.

"I plan on telling Dick very soon," Raven said softly. "Even if you don't trust me, do you trust _him?"_

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Of course I do."

"Then trust him to keep us safe."

Batman regarded her stoically for a long moment; she held his stare unflinchingly.

Finally, after the tension had become so thick a butter knife could have cut it, Batman jerked his head once, curtly, yielding to his colleagues' judgment.

"Thank you," Raven said sincerely.

"I _will_ find out what it is eventually," he warned her.

"I'd expect no less. In fact, if you haven't discovered the truth by the time the threat has passed, I'll tell you myself."

"I'll hold you to that." Batman's shoulders relaxed infinitesimally. "For now, we have two teammates to release."

Raven nodded and glided over to J'onn and Zatara.

"Good job, Bruce," Flash quietly commended him. "It's not a crime to be optimistic every now and then."

"I know that wasn't easy for you," Zatanna put in as Raven made contact with the crystal surrounding the Martian Manhunter. She knew Bruce had been making a genuine effort to be less controlling ever since he'd reconciled with Dick, but she also knew his fiercely protective instincts, born out of the depth of his concern for the people he cared about, sometimes overpowered his willingness to trust in other people. "But you did the right thing."

Doctor Fate said nothing, but Batman was sure he could picture the wizard's gravely approving expression under that helmet.

The World's Greatest Detective huffed. "Hmph. I'm still making contingency plans."

Flash exchanged glances with the other two, smiling wryly. "We know," they said as one.

* * *

John dodged another blast from Star Sapphire with relative ease and rose higher into the air so he would be level with her.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted.

Almost immediately, a giant pink hand grabbed him from behind and slammed him into the ground.

"You haven't used your ring at all," Star Sapphire noted with false sweetness. "Don't you know what it's for? The previous Green Lantern certainly did — not that he did much with it in the last few months."

She waved her hand, and John's approaching green net construct was easily brushed aside.

"Well, now I see why you're reluctant to use the ring. You're a novice. Actually, I'm surprised you're back from Oa as a full Green Lantern so soon. Isn't the regular training period three months? You should still be on probation."

John's next attack was a bazooka, but it deflected harmlessly off Star Sapphire's shield.

"Okay, there _has_ to be a connection between Star Sapphire and the GL Corps," remarked Hawkgirl. "There's no way she would know all this stuff otherwise."

"Probably," Superman agreed. "But this isn't the time to debate what that means for our objectives." He lifted off the ground as John sailed through the air to land on the opposite side of the street. "What do you say we help our new friend?"

Hawkgirl smirked as she raised her mace, and the two advanced on Star Sapphire as one.

"Just be careful not to let her crystal touch you," Superman warned, narrowly avoiding a shot of said crystal.

Remembering what Flash had said about being trapped in the stuff, Hawkgirl grimaced. "You don't have to tell me twice."

John caught up to them, a bit bruised but still spoiling for a fight, and itching to give Star Sapphire a taste of her own medicine. "If you two are quite done talking," he retorted, "I thought you wanted to catch this lady?"

"Ready when you are," Hawkgirl shot back.

"Go!" shouted Superman.

* * *

"Well?" Batman inquired as Raven dropped her hands from J'onn's crystal.

"I'm sorry." The empath sounded weary. "I can't reach him. I can feel his emotions, but I can't access them to draw away the false happiness that masks the truth. He is…" She paused, searching for the exact words to precisely articulate what she had sensed. "He's content not to know if it's real or not."

"Damn," sighed Flash.

"J'onn has lost a great deal that was dear to him," said Doctor Fate. "I'm not surprised he doesn't want to break the illusion."

"We'll have to find another way," Batman said determinedly.

Raven drew her hood up. "I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"It's okay," said Flash, appearing by her side. "Thanks for trying. Come on, I'll teleport you back home."

* * *

"Whoa!" Hawkgirl dodged a razor-edged shard of pure pink crystal, watching as it whizzed past her and shattered on the road. "That was close."

John Stewart flew overhead, exchanging his own green blasts of light with Star Sapphire's violet lasers. "You know, this" — he shot upwards — "would be" — then arced down again — "a lot easier" — a swerve to the right — "if we didn't" — shield — "have to avoid" — he lunged forward — "crystal!" — and missed Star Sapphire by inches.

His tone was sharp with frustrated anger, but he did have a point. Superman, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern working together should have been able to overcome Star Sapphire — but all of the three were fighting with an impediment, because they were forced to guard against her crystal blasts. None of them wanted to test whether they — like Wonder Woman, Black Canary, and Vixen — were immune to the crystallization process. Hawkgirl was hyper-aware of her lost love Katar Hol; Superman and Green Lantern were both men; and the League could not afford to lose its most powerful member, just as the Green Lantern Corps desperately needed its full complement of Corpsmen if and when Sinestro and the Thunderers of Qward struck again.

Star Sapphire, for her part, had cleverly realized that the heroes were anxious to avoid her crystal, and she used it freely to force them back and keep them off-balance. The tactic was extremely effective, and it had forced them into what was, for all intents and purposes, a stalemate. Neither side could gain the upper hand, but neither was willing to give up, either.

Superman righted himself after bouncing back off a particularly strong purple shield. "We need a plan."

"I'm all ears, Superman," responded Hawkgirl.

"Well, this is just a suggestion here —" John nearly managed to score a hit before his beam was repelled by Star Sapphire. "— but maybe you guys could call for backup?!"  
Superman and Hawkgirl exchanged glances.

"Wonder Woman is still on the Watchtower," Hawkgirl offered.

"Call her in," Superman agreed.

While the Man of Steel took off to help John, Hawkgirl reached for her comlink. "Hawkgirl to Watchtower — Star Sapphire is in Detroit. We need Diana."

 _"Copy that, Hawkgirl,"_ came Flash's voice.

"Make it fast," Hawkgirl added as she watched the current Green Lantern counter a pink blast from Star Sapphire with a green one of his own.

"Pathetic," Star Sapphire sneered as her beam forced its way closer to John. "The Guardians' standards certainly have dropped, haven't they?"

"How do you know about the Guardians?" John demanded, even as he poured more will into his beam to keep Star Sapphire at bay.

"I know a lot of things," Star Sapphire taunted. "Things I'm sure even the Guardians are unaware of."

"I doubt that." While he certainly wasn't fond of the diminutive beings, two weeks on Oa had been enough time for John to realize that the Guardians' store of knowledge was _vast._

"Ha!" scoffed Star Sapphire. "You're a complete rookie and they already have you blindly accepting everything they say. I must applaud them on that, I suppose."

John took offense to that. Gritting his teeth, he mustered the strongest hard light surge he could, and felt a certain satisfaction when the extra push unbalanced Star Sapphire. The villainess' eyes widened and then narrowed behind her mask.

"That's an improvement, but not much." She drew her ring hand back and caught him under the jaw with a powerful pink fist, and before he had time to react, she grabbed him with energy tentacles and flung him into an oncoming Superman. Star Sapphire smirked as she sent a blast of crystal straight at them.

"No!" Hawkgirl was already diving for her, but the crystal was well on its way, and pretty soon she would be able to add two more men to her list of conquests…

The rushing crystal met a block just before it reached the two heroes, breaking against a pair of crossed steel bracelets.

"You again!" exclaimed Star Sapphire, irked.

"Me again," Wonder Woman stated. "I owe you for this morning."

She lunged before Star Sapphire could dodge, and the latter found herself trapped in an near-unbreakable Amazon hold. With a growl, Star Sapphire created a claw-like structure and forcefully pried Wonder Woman's arms open. Within a moment, she was out and flying away as fast as she could. It was time to disappear — she was clearly outnumbered and outmatched here.

She made it twenty yards before she registered the chant of, _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_ and by then it was too late to avoid the huge black bird. As soon as Raven's soul self touched her, her world went dark.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yes, that's a little hint towards Raven's demon daddy issues. I'm not going to do a Trigon arc for Diamond Earth - I don't think I'd have much to add.**_

 _ **Please review! And hopefully the next update will be sooner - I intend to make it so, anyway.**_


	18. No Silver Bullet

_**A/N: So it looks like I'm updating once a month from here on, just like an actual comic title. No reviews since the last update :'( - but thanks to those who followed and favourited.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen: No Silver Bullet**

"You're joking." Tom Kalmaku stared at Hal.

"Not even a little," Hal said seriously. "Think about it, Tom. When you checked the Peregrine the night before the flight test, everything was perfect, right?"

"Yes…"

"And I _know_ all the fuel tanks were full before takeoff. There shouldn't have been any reason why the engines experienced fuel starvation, yet they did — _and_ the plane exploded."

"Which it wouldn't have if there really wasn't any fuel left," Tom surmised. "Okay, so for some reason the engines weren't able to get fuel from the secondary tank when you activated the afterburners. That doesn't mean sabotage, Hal. It just means…a flaw in the design." He didn't sound very sure, however.

"There was _no_ flaw," Hal stressed. "I checked the blueprints. Carol checked the blueprints. U.S.A.F. checked the blueprints. They were perfect, and everything on that plane was constructed using the blueprints as gospel. You and I inspected the Peregrine the day before the test, and so did Carol and half a dozen other engineers. Nothing was wrong, just like nothing was wrong the first time round — yet both flight tests ended badly. This whole unlikely scenario's happened _twice_ now, Tom, and that means sabotage."

Tom sighed. He couldn't deny that the thought had crossed his mind, given the similarities between the two Peregrine failures, and there was something that had been nagging at him…

"You said the ejector jammed, right?"

"Yeah. I almost didn't make it out in time."

Tom bit his lip. "Ace couldn't eject, either."

Now it was Hal's turn to stare at Tom. "Shit," he swore. It was one thing to suspect that someone was out to get him, and quite another to have it chillingly confirmed. Without the ejector problem, it was still possible that all the saboteur wanted was the failure of the Peregrine, but he hadn't known that Ace had had problems ejecting, too.

"Someone wants you dead, Hal," Tom said grimly.

"I know." Hal ran his fingers through his hair. "But I don't know who."

"We'll figure it out," Tom said with determination. "I'm guessing the sabotage was done by putting water into the fuel tank."

"Most likely," Hal agreed. "It's the only explanation for the engines not getting fuel when the tank still had some."

"Right, and if that's how they did it, they only had about a 12-hour window between the final checks and the start of the flight test."

"It could have been anyone," said Hal. "There are no security cams on the airfield."

"But there _are_ security cams in the observation tower," Tom pointed out.

"How does that help?" Hal asked in confusion.

"There's one that's positioned so it gets a view of the airfield through the window. Any footage would be fuzzy and probably not clear enough to identify whoever it was at that distance, but it's a start."

"Great," said Hal. "Who do we talk to to get access to that footage?"

* * *

"Remind me again why we aren't marching in there right now to interrogate her?" Zatanna's tone was somewhat waspish, her eyes fixed on the monitor which showed Star Sapphire sitting still against the wall of the Watchtower containment cell, her hands restrained by power-dampening handcuffs specifically designed to hold metabeings.

"Batman wants to let her stew for a bit," said Flash.

"Why?" demanded Zatanna. "Wonder Woman has a _Lasso of Truth_ , for Magi's sake!"

"The lasso can only make people tell the truth, Zee. It can't actually make them _do_ anything."

"So?"

"So what if only Star Sapphire can reverse the crystallization?" Flash pointed out reasonably. "If we go in there and use Di's lasso right off, without any leverage, Star Sapphire will know she has the upper hand, and we'll never get her to do anything. But if we wait to interrogate her, A) she gets to deal with some uncertainty and hopefully psych herself out before the interrogation; B) we might find something we can use to weigh the negotiations in our favor."

"And _have_ we found anything?"

"Not yet," Atom admitted from his position by a terminal. "I can't even figure out the source of her powers. She doesn't have a ring, like Green Lantern."

"She might be an actual meta," Hawkgirl suggested.

"She might," Atom conceded. "I can't confirm that without a blood sample, though."

"So go get one," said Zatanna.

"Already tried. Her energy aura won't let the needle through. Couldn't unmask her for the same reason. She was very smug about that."

"I'll bet she was," Zatanna seethed.

"Zee, calm down," Flash advised. "I know you're worried about your dad, but we're doing everything we can."

Zatanna took a deep breath. "I'm going to get some air," she growled as she stalked out of the room. Atom watched her go with sympathy in his eyes.

"She's really not taking this well, is she?"

"Nope," said Flash. "I can't really blame her, though. After all she had to go through to reunite with her father, having him trapped in a crystal prison can't be easy."

"Let's hope Star Sapphire gives us some answers, then," said Hawkgirl. "I don't think Zatanna's in a mood to play nice if she doesn't."

* * *

Carol Ferris' office was empty, and while Hal thought it odd that she wasn't working this early in the afternoon, it suited their purpose just fine. Carol was doing her best to put the entire Peregrine fiasco behind her, and Hal didn't want to drag her back into it by telling her of his investigation — not until he had concrete evidence to prove foul play. She was stressed out enough without him bringing up Ferris Air's biggest failure without a good reason — and right now, with no proof, and only his gut certainty that someone had sabotaged the Peregrine project, he didn't have a good reason to let her in on it.

"This is not a good idea," Tom sighed as Hal quickly closed the door and crossed the room to Carol's computer.

"It's our only option after Simmons wouldn't let us access the security footage." Hal still sounded somewhat sore about the way their conversation with Ferris Air's chief of security had gone. He switched the monitor on and began trying out passwords.

"Technically, he's right, you know — you _don't_ work here," Tom pointed out.

"Well, he didn't have to be such an _ass_ about it. Aha!" Hal exclaimed as the computer beeped. "We're in!"

Tom shook his head in amazement. "I've never figured out how you always know what Carol's password is, even though she keeps changing it."

"She only ever changes it to one of her five stock passwords," Hal confided. "Right, here we go — video files. Let's see…the flight test was on the 17th…" He found the file with the correct date and clicked on it.

As Tom had said, the window footage of the airfield was grainy, and quite small. They were able to distinguish the outline of the Peregrine, but not much else — and even that was partly blocked by the window frame. The interior of the observation tower, on the other hand, was clearly defined, and it was hard not to focus on that instead of whatever minute movements might be taking place on the airstrip.

"There!" Tom pointed out the tiny speck that had appeared next to the Peregrine. "Do you see that?"

"I see it," Hal confirmed. He checked the timestamp in the corner of the screen. "4:31am. Way before anyone was supposed to be there."

"Too bad it's impossible to see who it is," lamented Tom. "I can't even tell if it's a man or a woman."

The unknown figure ventured into a part of the airfield they couldn't see; though they kept watching for several minutes, he or she failed to reappear.

Just as Hal was about to stop the video, someone suddenly entered the footage of the observation room.

"Hey now, who's that?" Hal peered closer, but he was unable to recognize the person. Whoever it was was a woman, but she had her back to the camera and all Hal could see was that she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and had long black hair.

Then the woman turned, and Tom gasped in recognition.

"That's Debbie!"

Hal frowned, trying to place the name. "Debbie?"

"Debbie Darnell. She started working here around the beginning of the year."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember — I've spoken to her a few times. What on earth was she doing in the observation tower at 5am in the morning?" Hal sounded suspicious, and Tom gaped at him.

"You don't think it was _Debbie_ who tried to kill you?"

Hal shrugged. "I'm not sure. If it was, I don't know what I did to piss her off — but I can't think of a good reason why she would be there two whole hours before anyone else arrived."

"Okay, fair point, but let's see what she does in the footage before we jump to conclusions," Tom said reasonably.

As it turned out, Debbie Darnell did nothing much. She circled the room a few times, spent a while looking out the window, and then left.

"Well, now we know what our next step is," Hal commented after he logged off Carol's computer.

"Oh, boy, here it comes…"

"Let's go have a chat with Ms. Darnell."

Tom groaned, but dutifully followed Hal out the door.

* * *

It was another three hours before Batman decided to commence the interrogation. By this time, the only people left on the Watchtower were Batman, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, and Doctor Fate — everyone else had returned to their cities — and Zatanna was chomping at the bit to get some answers.

"About damn time," she exclaimed as she reached to mash the button that would open the door to the interrogation room.

"You —" Batman's hand shot out to block her path. "— are not going in there."

"The hell I'm not!" She was furious.

"Zatanna, the only way we retain our leverage is if we don't show our hand," he told her sternly. "You're incapable of that right now, so you're staying put."

"Bruce, you have five seconds —"

 _"Stay. Put."_

Even though she'd known the Dark Knight of Gotham for far longer than anyone else in the League, Zatanna had rarely ever been subjected to the full force of his commanding Bat-glare, and she could get away with things around him that most heroes wouldn't dare entertain. Today, however, he was giving absolutely no quarter, and Mistress of Magic though she was, she faltered under his stare.

"Fate, keep an eye on her." Satisfied that Zatanna wasn't going to be barging into the interrogation anytime soon, Batman wordlessly gestured for Wonder Woman to accompany him, and the two entered the room together.

"Isn't that sweet," Star Sapphire snickered. She seemed none the worse for the wear for her extended waiting period. "I suppose the couple that interrogates criminals together, stays together?"

Wonder Woman twitched, but Batman knew better than to rise to the bait. He stood opposite the violet villainess, observing her intently.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," he stated simply. "Easy: you tell us what we have to do to reverse the crystallization, and we put in a good word for you when we drop you off at the Coast City penitentiary. Hard: we use the Lasso of Truth, you tell us more than you intend to, and we recommend no privileges in jail."

Star Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "And what if I tell you there's no way to reverse the crystallization?"

"I'd say you're lying, because we've seen it happen."

"Interesting," Star Sapphire commented. "So one of you managed to get out. I didn't think that was possible, but, oh, well."

"Choose, Sapphire." Batman's tone was unyielding. "Easy or hard?"

"Doesn't make a difference. You're not going to like my answer either way. And if you think Coast City's jail can hold me, you've got another think coming."

In response, Batman held up a small chip, about the size of a thumbnail.

"What's that?" asked Star Sapphire suspiciously.

"A neural scrambler. Unlike Green Lantern, you don't wear a ring, but you make your constructs the same way. If you can't concentrate, you can't make constructs, even if you maintain your aura."

"Oh, I see. And you're going to put that in my brain to keep me from using my powers to escape."

"Until we can figure out the source of your powers and how to separate you from it, yes. Exactly how… _distracting_ the scrambler is — that's up to you."

Star Sapphire cocked her head. "Threats, Batman? Is that what it's come to? A ceaseless, painful headache unless I'm a good girl?" She scoffed. "You can't even get a needle near me to get a blood sample. How do you expect to cut my head open to implant that thing?"

"We'll find a way," said Batman with dark certainty. "And that's not a threat." He leaned forward. "It's a promise."

Star Sapphire scowled. "Well, then, I'll make a promise of my own." She glanced at Wonder Woman. "Go ahead and use that fancy lasso on me, but I guarantee you won't get the answers you're looking for. You're so far beyond your jurisdiction you wouldn't even know what questions to ask."

Batman had had enough. "Do it, Wonder Woman."

"With pleasure." Needing no further invitation, the Amazon looped her lasso around Star Sapphire and drew it tight. The rope glowed golden as the magic took effect, flickering slightly as it came into contact with Star Sapphire's hard light aura, but still functional. "How do we free the crystallized men?"

"You can't. Neither can I."

Wonder Woman exchanged a look of shock with Batman. "Say that again," she ordered.

Star Sapphire smirked. "I can't reverse the crystallization even if I wanted to."

"Then who can?" demanded Wonder Woman.

"Only someone with a fully functional Star Sapphire ring. Which — oops —" Star Sapphire raised her empty right hand. "— I don't have." She grinned. "Told you you wouldn't like my answer."

Wonder Woman had to work to restrain her temper at the villainess' attitude. "And where can we find someone with a Star Sapphire ring?"

"Zamaron."

Batman frowned. Zamaron again. Somehow, that mysterious planet was at the center of this whole scenario.

Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed. "Tell me everything you know about Zamaron."

"It's a planet in galactic Sector 0001. It's very old. Only female inhabitants." Star Sapphire abruptly stopped.

Wonder Woman tugged at the lasso. "And?"

"And I can't tell you anything else." Star Sapphire looked smug.

"The lasso compels you."

"True, but something else is compelling me more strongly not to say anything. So there you go."

Wonder Woman gritted her teeth. _"What_ is compelling you?"

"Can't say that either. Boy, this really puts a crimp in your interrogation, huh?"

"I _will_ have the truth from you," growled Wonder Woman, tugging more forcefully on the lasso. She refused to believe that hard light could interfere with the power of the Olympian gods themselves.

Unfortunately, no matter how she rephrased the question, Star Sapphire would not — could not? — say anymore. It frustrated Wonder Woman immensely.

"I think we're done here," Batman said as the seething Amazon reluctantly removed the lasso from Star Sapphire. He pocketed the neural scrambler chip and walked out. A disgruntled Wonder Woman followed a few seconds later.

"Ta!" Star Sapphire called after them.

* * *

"What do you mean, she's not here?" Hal demanded.

The chief analyst, a man by the name of Godwin, looked annoyed. "Exactly what I said, Jordan. Debbie Darnell hasn't been in to work since the Peregrine flight test. Ms. Ferris herself was asking about her yesterday."

"I see."

"Do you know where we might be able to find her?" Tom asked.

"If I did, I would've already gone there to fire her. Now if you'd excuse me, I have work to do."

"Well, what do you make of that?" Hal said to Tom as Godwin bustled off. "Darnell's looking guiltier by the minute."

"It really is starting to look like she sabotaged the Peregrine and then ran to avoid being found out," Tom admitted. "But now we're stuck."

"Maybe not," Hal said thoughtfully. "I'll use my U.S.A.F. clearance to run a search through some databases, see what I can find out about her. I'll let you know what I find."

"Good luck," Tom wished him.

* * *

"Let me at her," Zatanna demanded. "I'll use my magic — play around with her mind a little — I'm sure I can make her more cooperative…"

"Absolutely not," Batman said sternly. "Reading thoughts is one thing, Zatanna, but manipulating someone's mind is a line which should never be crossed."

"Don't get sanctimonious with me, Bruce — I think the circumstances justify it."

"No, they don't. Besides, what good would it do? Star Sapphire herself can't reverse the stasis."

"But she's not telling us everything, either," Zatanna pointed out. "Somehow, impossibly, she circumvented the Lasso of Truth."

"I'm not entirely sure that was her doing. From what she said, it seems that there's something else influencing her, preventing her from speaking — possibly the same thing which gives her her powers."

"We may yet get answers from her voluntarily once we figure out how to implant the neural scrambler," offered Doctor Fate. "However, I believe it is imperative that we discover all we can about Zamaron. I do not think we are going to resolve this situation without that knowledge."

"I agree," said Wonder Woman. "My lasso has never failed before. Anyone or anything which can interfere with its power most definitely warrants a thorough investigation."

"And we will," Batman promised. "But the only place we can look for answers right now is the library on Oa, and we can't go there."

"But Green Lantern can," Wonder Woman pointed out.

"Exactly."

* * *

Night was falling by the time John decided to return to the Stewart apartment. After the day he'd had — what with making his official public appearance, meeting three Justice League members, and fighting his first supervillain — he debated taking the bus, just for the semblance of something normal, but decided against it. Having a public identity made things easy for him because he didn't have to hide, but at the same time it meant that everybody in Detroit and their grandma knew who he was. He was in no mood to put up with people's curious glances and questions should he join the crowd of working people on their way home — the press had already hounded him enough today. All he wanted to do was have a hot shower and chat with Rex. His Marine buddy was finally leaving for Chicago tomorrow, with every intention of proposing to his lady love, and John wasn't about to let him go without a few celebratory beers.

He was halfway home when his ring beeped with a Priority One message from his GL Corps mentor.

 _"Stewart, get your ass to Oa now!"_ ordered Katma. _"Sinestro's back!"_

* * *

 _ **A/N: And so the plot heats up again. We're reaching the home strait now - just a few more chapters to go. I'll see you all again sometime after Christmas! Until then, Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and please do leave a review on your way out!**_


	19. Lay it Out in Black and White

_**A/N: Happy New Year, everybody! (belated as it is). Here's a brand new chapter to mark 2020, one of my absolute favourites in the entire story. I hope you enjoy reading the pivotal conversation in this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen: Lay It Out in Black and White**

Hal munched on a cold tuna sandwich (the closest thing to a meal he had had the time and inclination to rustle up) as he slipped a pen drive into his home computer and started browsing the files on it. He'd used his clearance as a U.S.A.F. pilot to pull some strings and get a trusted military techie friend of his to dig up any information available on Debbie Darnell. Tom had copied Darnell's employment records from Ferris Air and handed them to Hal as well, and Hal had compiled everything on this pen drive for his perusal when he had the opportunity to look at it. With his increasingly busy schedule, it had taken almost a week from the failure of the second Peregrine before he was able to find a window of time to sit down and really look at Darnell's information properly.

Darnell's employment file was the first thing he clicked on. It didn't contain much more than her basic information (name, age, email, etc.), record at the company (diligent, but modest) and her resume, which was strangely sparse. Darnell mentioned graduating with an aviation degree from some university Hal had never heard of, but she had no prior work experience — Ferris Air was her first job. While that wasn't odd in and of itself, the fact that she had been assigned to help out on the flight test of the company's most important project in a decade as a relative rookie was — as was the brief note in her file which revealed that Carol had recruited her personally for both the company and the Peregrine project.

Hal frowned, unable to determine why Carol had taken such an interest in Darnell and trusted her on the Peregrine project when there was nothing in her resume or her company record to indicate that she had been particularly remarkable. She was a solid worker, but nothing special — and to merit the attention of the vice-president of a multibillion dollar company, one had to be either personally connected or professionally excellent. On the basis of her employment records, Darnell did not satisfy the latter criterion, and unless Hal was very much mistaken, she didn't satisfy the former either.

"Who are you, Debbie Darnell?" he wondered aloud, taking another bite of his sandwich.

The doorbell rang, and with a sudden, eerie sense of déjà vu, Hal rose to answer it.

It was Wally — and he wasn't happy. Hal could tell that much from his friend's narrowed eyes and crossed arms, but he hadn't the faintest idea what the speedster was upset about, nor how it related to him.

"Wally?"

Without being invited, Wally stalked into the house, brushing past Hal to pace around the living room — at non-superspeed, to Hal's relief. The carpeting would never withstand the friction otherwise.

"Wally, what's going on?"

The redhead turned around to stare balefully at Hal, but he still didn't speak. Hal was beginning to get a bit irritated.

"Wally, you didn't come all the way out here to give me the silent treatment. Whatever you're mad about, spit it out, or come back when you actually wanna talk."

"I am trying," Wally finally said in a carefully controlled tone, "not to judge. I know it must have been overwhelming, and horrific, and extremely hard to take. I get that you had lost friends, people dear to you. I know everything leading up to that point had tried and tested you and shaken your confidence. So, I am trying to understand it from your point of view…but _damn it_ , Hal, _what the hell_?!"

Hal gaped at Wally, momentarily stunned. "What?"

"In case you hadn't guessed, I'm talking about your resignation," Wally ground out. "From both the League and the Corps."

Hal frowned. "What about it?"

"Why'd you do it, Hal?"

"What d'you mean, why'd I do it? Why's it matter?"

"It matters a hell of a lot, Hal. Why did you do it?"

Hal huffed in disbelief. "Why are you bringing this up now? It's been nearly a month. And the last time we spoke about this, _you_ said there was nothing wrong with giving up this life."

"That was when I thought you had legitimately thought it through!" Wally exclaimed. "I accepted your decision because I thought you'd taken the time to consider everything and decided that it would actually be best for you to give up the ring. Instead, I find out that you made a spur-of-the-moment choice because you wanted to _run away_."

Hal's eyes flashed. "You're one to talk," he retorted scathingly. "Your whole schtick is running, and remind me why we have a Cosmic Treadmill up at the Watchtower again?"

Wally scowled darkly at him. "Low blow, Hal. It's not the same thing and you know it."

He was right. A part of Hal regretted comparing what he'd done to Wally's natural desire to run, but he was defensive and lashing out.

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "Go on, then, tell me — how is it any different from you?"

Wally glared. "I don't run from my problems, Hal. I run to _help_ people, that's what I do. And I use that damn treadmill to _clear my head_ so I don't make stupid decisions like _resigning from the League_."

"How can you call it a stupid decision if you don't know why I did it?"

"The new GL told Hawkgirl there's some sort of war going on between the Corps and the Thunderers of Qward, and that the first devastating battle on Oa was around a month ago. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." Wally's stare bored into Hal. "So, are you going to tell me that your resignation _wasn't_ about running away from that?"

Pushing aside the fact that his former fellow Leaguers had met his successor, Hal exclaimed, "Can you blame me? Wally, you didn't see what I saw. Half of Oa destroyed, hundreds of dead Lanterns — many of them were my _friends_ — and all of it caused by someone I once trusted with my life!"

"Sinestro," Wally realised suddenly.

"Yeah, him! The bastard taught me everything I know about being a Green Lantern, and then he tries to wipe out the entire Corps!"

"So because your mentor goes to the dark side and kills your friends, you just _leave?"_ Wally demanded incredulously. "Hal, you're a _military man_! You've seen war before and you've never given up! I get that Sinestro's betrayal hurt, but the Hal Jordan I know wouldn't have thrown in the towel just because of one awful battle!"

"Well, maybe I'm _not_ who everyone seems to think I am!" Carol, Arisia, Star Sapphire, the Guardians, now Wally — everyone appeared to think that Hal was some great person with indomitable will and courage — and maybe he had been once, but he wasn't anymore.

"Hal, _why did you resign_?"

"Because I can't _do_ it anymore!" Hal cried. "That strong, confident Green Lantern? Yeah, he died with Ace, Arisia, and the countless other individuals who lost their lives last month!"

"You've lost people before without breaking down," Wally pointed out. "For God's sake, Hal, you've lost friends in battles before and you've always continued on and got the job done."

"It's different this time, Wally."

"Like hell it is. Whether it's the U.S.A.F. or the GL Corps, the principle is _exactly_ the same."

"It's _different,"_ Hal hissed — and maybe it was the raw guilt in his voice or the desperation on his face, but Wally finally stopped his stormy tirade and looked closely at his friend.

 _"How_ is it different?" demanded the speedster, unwittingly echoing Hal's previous challenge from earlier in the conversation; the former Green Lantern winced at the reminder, though he didn't think Wally had done it on purpose.

"You really wanna know?" he said bitterly.

"Yeah, Hal, I really do."

In a voice filled with self-loathing and disgust, Hal answered, "It's different because _I couldn't save them_."

Wally blinked uncomprehendingly. "How is that different from losses in the Air Force?"

Hal laughed self-deprecatingly — it was not a pleasant sound. "Because I had a much better resource as a Green Lantern than I do as a pilot, Wally. I had a goddamn cosmic ring that can do _fucking anything_ , and I _still_ couldn't save the people I cared about. What the fuck does that say about me?"

Wally blew out his breath in a long, loud exhale. "Nobody's perfect, Hal."

"I never said I was. I sure as hell have screwed up enough times in other parts of my life. But in the areas where I absolutely _needed_ to be at the top of my game…I wasn't. I failed, and people _died_ because of it. I can't lose anyone else to my mistakes — I can't have anyone else's blood on my hands."

Wally placed his hands on his hips and stared very hard at Hal, willing his stubborn friend understand. "Hal, if you failed that night on Oa, then so did a thousand other Green Lanterns."

Hal shook his head. "Wally, I _knew_ Sinestro was acting strangely. I picked up that something wasn't quite right _months_ before anything happened. If I had called attention to it earlier, maybe we could have prevented the worst parts of this whole sordid affair. And even after his trial, if I hadn't been so weak, I could've saved Ace, or at least done a better job standing up to Sinestro instead of needing to have _my girlfriend_ sacrifice her life to save my sorry ass from him."

"And _maybe,"_ Wally said, raising his voice again to cut through Hal's wallowing, "even if you did everything right, it wouldn't have made one whit of difference _anyway._ That's how the world works, Hal, you can't keep blaming yourself for — wait, what?" He broke off abruptly as his brain registered exactly what Hal had said. _"Girlfriend?"_

"Arisia." Hal sighed, deflated. "Another Lantern."

"What happened to Carol?"

Hal winced. "Just…another area I've failed in."

"Jeez, Hal."

Without warning, Wally's arms shot out and pulled Hal into a hug. The older man squirmed at first, but gradually relaxed into the contact.

"I'm sorry, Wally."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me all this?"

"Because I didn't want to admit to my best friend how pathetic I am?" Hal joked weakly.

"Stop it, Hal." _Stop putting yourself down, stop feeling sorry for everything that isn't your fault._

There was a beat of silence, then Hal said, "Um, Wally? You can let me go now."

With an exasperated huff, Wally released his grip.

"You're an idiot, Hal."

"Tell me something I don't know." Hal smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Feeling drained, he went over to the couch and sat down. Wally joined him.

"Tell me something, Hal. The ring chooses its bearer, right?"

"Sort of. When a Lantern dies or retires — or resigns — their ring scouts their sector for potential replacements. It picks its own candidates, but the Guardians are the ones who make the final decision on which candidate becomes the new Green Lantern."

"But that didn't happen with you."

"Nope," Hal admitted. "Abin Sur's ring just decided it wanted me, so it kidnapped me."

"The Guardians had no say in it at all?"

"Nope, and they weren't too happy about that."

"I'll bet," Wally muttered. "So, Hal, here's my question: why, in the name of all that is holy, do you think so little of yourself when a 'goddamn cosmic ring that can do fucking anything' decided you're good enough that it didn't want some meddling blue dwarfs selecting anyone else to wear it?"

Hal opened his mouth but couldn't think of anything to say. "I dunno," he said finally. "Maybe that ring had a few screws loose."

"So it was the _ring's_ fault that you couldn't fulfil your duties the way you wanted to?"

Hal shook his head firmly. "No, the ring is the most perfect weapon in the universe."

"Only in the right hands," Wally pointed out.

"Precisely, and I wasn't the right person."

"But the ring wanted _you_ and nobody else. Are you saying it made a mistake when it chose you?"

"Yeah, maybe it did."

"Then it's not perfect," Wally said triumphantly. "Which means you're off the hook."

"What?" said Hal. "No, that's not how it works."

"Either the ring is perfect and so it made the perfect choice when it chose you, or it's not and there's at least a possibility that everything you failed to do with it was down to the ring's flaws, not yours," Wally argued. "It's one or the other, Hal. Which is it?"

"Both. Neither. Hell, _I_ don't know." Hal groaned in frustration. "This argument is going in circles, Wally."

"Because you're going in circles," Wally shot back. "Hal, you can't stubbornly insist that _you're_ the one who failed the ring instead of the other way round, and _also_ say that this apparently perfect ring made a mistake choosing you. It's not logical."

"Why not? People change, Wally. Maybe I _was_ worthy when the ring picked me, but I lost my way." However, a small part of Hal's brain reminded him that the ring hadn't left him until he'd forced it to, and he remembered Ganthet's grave assurance about what that implied regarding his worthiness.

"You don't really believe that," Wally said with conviction. "Hal, why is it so hard for you to accept that sometimes shit happens, and you can't do anything about it? Why do you have to beat yourself up so badly about not being infallible?"

For a long while, Hal did not answer. Wally, for his part, didn't push, instead demonstrating remarkable patience for a speedster while Hal worked through his muddled thoughts.

"I'm scared, Wally," Hal admitted finally, hanging his head. "I never was before, I don't know why — but ever since Sinestro's trial, I've been scared. Seeing him fall from grace like that — straying so far from the path we're supposed to hold true to — and him supposedly being the best, the epitome of a Green Lantern — and he _mentored_ me…It's not just the betrayal, or the people I've lost — although that hurts like _hell_ — it's the fear that…maybe, one day…I might do the same."

Wally had a sudden epiphany. "You're not afraid of losing people," he realised. "You just don't want to confront the fact that you won't always be as good as you need to be."

Hal wearily lifted his head. His expression was pained. "Everybody has all these _expectations_ of me — my family, Carol, U.S.A.F., the League, the Corps, the Guardians — hell, even _Star Sapphire_ expected me to be…more. And on top of that, I have my own expectations of myself — and it stings when I have to lower them because I couldn't meet them. You know what that does to a guy's self-confidence to continually fail to meet his own standards?"

It explained a lot, Wally mused. Why Hal was always reckless and eager to prove himself. Why he pushed himself to the utmost limits and then some as a pilot and a Green Lantern. Why he wrapped himself in an aura of swagger and confidence. His devil-may-care attitude concealed a genuine fear that he wasn't, after all, everything he needed to be, and recent events would have only exacerbated that sense of inadequacy. Sinestro's trial and betrayal proved that even the best of the best could fall; Ace's and Arisia's deaths were devastating evidence of what happened when Hal wasn't good enough.

"It doesn't help," Hal continued, "that I'm apparently supposed to be so amazingly great because of the way I was chosen to be a Green Lantern. The most powerful weapon in the universe defied _millennia_ of protocol and ignored literally _billions_ of other beings to single _me_ out as the _only_ one worthy to wield it, Wally. And even after a truly _shit_ couple of months when I faltered and couldn't use it properly — even after I _resigned_ — the damn thing _still_ wouldn't leave me until I _threw it away_. What the _hell_ am I supposed to do with that?"

Wally had his answer; he knew why Hal had resigned. With an intergalactic war looming after a horrific attack on Oa, the stakes were supremely high and failure was simply not an option. Hal was _terrified_ of not being able to be the Green Lantern the Corps needed at such a crucial time, and the consequences thereof. He'd given up the ring so he wouldn't have to face that possibility; it was much easier to fulfil his and everyone else's expectations of a mere U.S.A.F. pilot than it was to meet the standards as a Green Lantern, particularly when he was such a unique exception among the Corps.

"Hal, basic fact of the universe: nobody's perfect," Wally repeated. "I'm pretty sure your ring didn't expect you to be."

"The Guardians did," Hal muttered.

"Well, screw the Guardians, then. _They're_ not perfect, either. Krona proved that when he decided to become buddy buddy with fear itself and turn into an ugly yellow smoke cloud."

Despite himself, Hal chuckled with genuine mirth at Wally's description of Parallax.

"I mean, yeah, you're not always gonna be good enough — and yeah, that sucks — especially when it leads to people you love dying." _Like Uncle Barry._ "But that's life, Hal. What makes us heroes isn't being superhuman all the time — it's accepting our flaws, accepting that sometimes we can't save everyone — and having the fortitude — the _will,"_ Wally emphasised, "— to suck it up and always try to do better, even if we'll never be perfect."

He gazed earnestly into Hal's brown eyes.

"And if there's one thing I know you have, Hal, it's will."

* * *

"I can't contact Stewart," Hawkgirl announced in the monitor womb. She had returned to the Watchtower to relieve Wonder Woman early in the morning. Aquaman and Wildcat had appeared for their shifts not long after, but Batman, Zatanna, and Doctor Fate had all spent the night on the space station.

"Didn't you give him a secondary comlink when you met him?" asked Zatanna. Batman had banished her from the area where they were keeping Star Sapphire ("Because I don't trust you not to do something stupid," he'd said bluntly), so she was rather brusque.

"Of course I did," Hawkgirl snapped back. "He's not answering."

The League had a policy of handing out secondary comlinks to any hero they met in the field, to make future communication easy in case they ever needed to contact them again. Unlike the primary comlinks assigned to Leaguers, secondary comlinks were set to a different frequency and could not grant access to the Watchtower teleportation system. Also, since they didn't expect non-Leaguers to keep their comlinks on (or even on their person) at all times, secondary comlinks came with a ringing feature that could be remotely activated from the Watchtower.

"He might be offworld," Wildcat pointed out. "Or simply not home."

"Offworld is likely," Hawkgirl agreed. "The satellites can't detect him anywhere in Detroit."

"Then how are we supposed to get him to check the library on Oa for us?" Zatanna demanded in frustration.

"We just have to wait till he comes back," answered Wildcat. He glanced at the tense and unhappy magician. "You'd do well to relax a little, kid. That I-want-to-bulldoze-everyone-in-my-way attitude might land you in some trouble, and/or piss off everyone near you."

Zatanna turned to glare at the seasoned hero. "Do you even _know_ what I'm feeling right now?"

"Sure I do," Wildcat replied evenly. "But you're thinking with your heart, not your head. Zatara is in no danger and he'll be restored just as soon as the League figures out how to reverse the crystallization. But to do that, we need more info that only certain people can provide, so a little patience is required. And it's a lot easier for everyone to do their work if you back off and give them a little breathing room," he said pointedly.

Zatanna exhaled and deflated into a chair.

"I just want my father back," she murmured.

"Completely understandable." Wildcat paused thoughtfully. "You know, I have history with your father too."

Zatanna looked up in surprise. "You?"

"During my boxing days, this shady sorcerer came up to me, asked me to throw the next match. I dunno, maybe he had money on the other guy, or something — but I told him no."

"So politely?" Hawkgirl asked in amusement. She was also listening with interest.

Wildcat chuckled. "I also told him he could stick it where the sun don't shine."

"I don't suppose he took kindly to that," Zatanna remarked.

"Nope. He cursed me to turn into a cat. Luckily, Zatara happened to be around and he was able to alter the curse before I completely lost my humanity."

"Is that why you have nine lives?" questioned Hawkgirl.

"Yeah," Wildcat confirmed. "Zatara couldn't remove the curse completely, so instead of ending up as a cat, I basically got conditional immortality. Anyone who wants me dead has to kill me nine times over — and they gotta do it quick, or my lives replenish."

"Why are you telling me this?" Zatanna wanted to know.

"So you know that you're not the only one who has an interest in getting Zatara out of that crystal as fast as possible. I owe him for what he did for me, and so does Batman — and Fate's been his friend for decades. You have to stop trying to take all the responsibility for your father on yourself, kiddo. There are other people who care for him too, and they're working to free him — learn to trust them to handle it."

* * *

Aquaman frowned as he observed Star Sapphire through the two-way glass of her holding cell.

"I don't like this," the King of Atlantis declared. "She's being far too cooperative."

"How so?" Doctor Fate questioned.

"She isn't trying to escape."

"Maybe she knows she can't," the wizard suggested. "We've had her in meta-cuffs since we captured her."

"And yet it has done nothing to neutralise her energy aura," Aquaman pointed out.

"Maintaining an aura requires much less effort than launching offensive attacks."

"Meta-cuffs are supposed to be absolute," Aquaman disagreed. "However little effort it takes to generate her aura, if it derives from a meta-ability, she should not be able to do it."

Fate cast his gaze towards Star Sapphire, thoughtful. "And if she isn't a meta, then the cuffs would not prevent her from escaping."

"Precisely." Aquaman scowled. "There is something amiss here, Fate."

As if on cue, something deep in the bowels of the Watchtower rumbled, causing the room to shake. Aquaman caught sight of the smirk on Star Sapphire's face just before she broke her cuffs with a wave of violet energy and rushed at the glass wall separating her from the Leaguers.

* * *

Batman had been in the lab most of the night, but he appeared in the monitor womb almost immediately after the Watchtower shook.

"Status report," he demanded of Hawkgirl.

"Something hit the power cells in Deck G," the Thanagarian replied. "Wildcat and Zatanna took off to check it out — they should be reaching any minute now."

Shocked cursing suddenly spit from the comm.

 _"When did Star Sapphire escape?!"_ Zatanna demanded angrily.

"What!" Hawkgirl exclaimed.

"Pull up the feed from the containment unit," Batman commanded.

Hawkgirl did so quickly. The cameras installed in that part of the Watchtower showed Star Sapphire lashing out against the wall of her cell. The villainess wasn't in cuffs any longer, but she was most assuredly still trapped in her holding cell, while Aquaman and Doctor Fate stood in battle stances ready to counter in the unlikely event that she managed to escape containment.

"Zatanna, Star Sapphire is still in her cell," Batman relayed.

 _"No she's not! She's right here!"_

At a glance from Batman, Hawkgirl pulled up the feed from Deck G.

Lo and behold, there was Star Sapphire, trading blows with Zatanna and Wildcat.

Stunned, Hawkgirl's gaze shifted back and forth between the two video feeds, both of which were live, both of which were clearly showing Star Sapphire in totally different locations.

"What the — there's _two_ of them?!"

Batman's eyes were slits in his cowl, but before he could say anything, the Star Sapphire on Deck G managed to blast something rather major in the wiring, and the Watchtower went dark.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So, I really REALLY wanna hear from you on this chapter. Even if you don't review for any other chapter, I would really like to get some feedback on this one, particularly Hal and Wally's conversation and the Star Sapphire twist. Pretty please?**_ _ **Next update will be in mid-February, anyway, so y'all have plenty of time to write out your thoughts.**_

 _ **Thanks!**_


	20. Grey Area

_**A/N: Hello hello, my lovely readers. Welcome to the beginning of the climax.**_

 _ **Thanks to** dorizard **for the beautifully detailed reviews.  
**_

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen: Grey Area**

"Get down!"

The warning came just in the nick of time. John flattened himself to the ground as a qwa-bolt screeched overhead, disintegrating the pavement behind him with explosive force. Katma Tui, having given the alert, followed up by blasting the offending Thunderer of Qward with an entire pillar of green will. John had to marvel at how she was still making full use of her ring after nearly ten hours of fighting. John himself had given up making constructs after the first three hours and was simply relying on instinctive shields, pure energy blasts, sometimes plain old fisticuffs, and his reflexes as a Marine.

"Tui, we can't keep doing this!" John parried a blow from a Qwardian and punched him solidly on the jaw. There seemed to be no end to the flood of Qwardians — they just kept coming and coming, like a swarm of insects.

"We _have_ to, Stewart!" Katma shouted. "Oa cannot fall to these invaders!"

"We can't just keep fighting them one on one!" John bashed another Thunderer on the head. "They outnumber us and half the Corps are rookies!"

"Well, what do you suggest?" demanded Katma.

"There has to be _something_ we can use to take out most of these mooks in one swoop," said John. "Does this planet have anything with enough power to fry a couple thousand people at once?"

Katma used a green hammer to pound several Qwardians before answering. "The only thing with that much power is the Central Power Battery."

John recalled the massive crystal structure that sat just behind the main Corps building. The Central Power Battery collected and stored all the will from every living being in the universe, and powered all the Green Lantern rings. If its energy could be directly harnessed, and if they could lead most of the Thunderers towards it…

Katma punched a Thunderer before roughly tapping John on the chest. "Stewart? What are you thinking?"

"I think I have a plan."

* * *

The backup generator kicked in less than a minute after the power failed, but that was apparently enough time for the second Star Sapphire to disappear from Deck G. Zatanna cursed when she saw nothing but damaged machinery and sparking wires where the violet villainess had been.

"She can't have gone far," said Wildcat. He sniffed the air experimentally, then took off running down a corridor. "Come on!"

Zatanna followed closely behind. "How do you know she went this way?"

"I worked enough with Alan Scott to recognise the faint scent of hard light."

"There's a scent?"

"Only if you know what you're looking for. Come on, kid, pick it up."

They dashed down the hallway and rounded a corner, and then Wildcat screeched to a halt.

"What is it?" asked Zatanna.

Wildcat looked up, and Zatanna followed his gaze to the gaping hole in the ceiling.

* * *

Aquaman and Doctor Fate were watching Star Sapphire's attempts to break free from her prison very closely, but they were still caught off guard by the brilliant fuchsia beam that burst from the floor. Doctor Fate, who had been standing right over it, toppled and lost his balance while Aquaman reflexively swung his trident towards the intruder.

"By Poseidon!" he swore.

Before him stood a Star Sapphire who was identical to the one still trapped in the holding cell, from the gem in her cat's eye mask down to the star cutout in her leotard.

"Stand down, King of Atlantis," said the new Star Sapphire. "My quarrel is not with you."

"So speaks the woman who just invaded our headquarters." Aquaman kept his trident pointed at her.

Star Sapphire didn't look at all perturbed. "If you'd _like_ me to fight you, I can. I'd rather not, that's all."

Aquaman gazed at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because my quarrel is with _her."_ Star Sapphire jerked her head towards her lookalike in the cell. "We have unfinished business."

"And the nature of this business would be…?"

"Ours and ours alone," Star Sapphire said firmly.

"Not even Green Lantern's?" questioned Doctor Fate.

Star Sapphire whipped around to narrow her eyes at him, and her words took on a vicious undertone. "Don't talk to me about _him._ I never want to see him again; if I do, he'll be lucky to escape with just bruises." With effort, she appeared to compose herself again. "I'll just take my counterpart with me and we'll be going."

"Neither of you is going anywhere until we understand the situation," Aquaman declared.

Star Sapphire glared daggers at him. "I didn't say you had a _choice."_

Before the Atlantean could react, a plasma-charged backhand knocked his trident out of his grasp, and Star Sapphire followed up by blasting him square in the face. Doctor Fate was already incanting, but in such close quarters Star Sapphire was too fast for him. She barreled into him feet first and kicked him up against the wall. Using her energy to create a pink barrier between herself and the two Leaguers, Star Sapphire quickly crossed the room and slammed her elbow into the control pad for the detention cell.

The doors of the cell opened at once, and the other Star Sapphire stepped out, grinning maliciously.

"About time," she said to her doppelganger.

The Star Sapphire who was holding back Aquaman and Doctor Fate merely stared grimly at her. "Let's finish this."

The other Star Sapphire's smirk widened. "Let's."

In a blaze of violet and fuchsia, both Star Sapphires crashed through the wall and disappeared.

* * *

John and Katma soared through the sky, taking the opportunity to scan the battlefield and solidify their strategy in their minds. They managed to neutralize several Qwardians as they passed them, but they remained more focused on their primary objective: finding a Green Lantern with enough authority to command the rest of the Corps to carry out their plan. John had convinced Katma that his plan was solid and their best chance at winning this battle, but being relative rookies in the Corps, neither of them had the right to direct the other Lanterns to follow their idea.

They finally spotted Salaak fighting off three Thunderers at once, and they dove down to assist, seeking to dispatch the immediate threat quickly so they could convey their plan. The Corps Clarissi, second in command only after the Guardians themselves, listened to their rushed explanation with a solemn face.

"You want to do what?"

"We need to lure all the Thunderers to the Central Power Battery," Katma said.

"Why?"

"So we can take them out all at once with a surge of power from the battery," John stressed. "We can't keep doing this, Salaak — there's too many of them and every minute we spend fighting them off is another minute we can't spend dealing with the real threat."

"Sinestro," Salaak agreed. "But how do you propose to activate the Central Power Battery directly? You'd require the combined concerted efforts of countless Green Lanterns."

"All of them," John confirmed. "The Battery powers all our rings, right? If we get everyone — and I mean _everyone_ — to use their rings in the exact same way at the exact same time in front of the Battery itself, we should be able to trigger a response from the Battery, an energy surge to replenish whatever combined energy our rings are using up."

"A direct conduit," surmised Salaak. "You wish to establish a mainline between the Central Battery and all our power rings — make our rings a channel to harness the energy from the Battery itself."

"That's possible, right?"

"Theoretically, yes. But what you're proposing has hardly been attempted before — certainly not with a Corps that is half composed of newcomers."

"It's our best shot, Salaak," Katma said bluntly. "We need to deal with Sinestro as fast as possible. The Thunderers are only a distraction."

"Once his army is gone, then we can focus Sinestro," added John. "Until then, we can't do shit."

Salaak considered for only seconds before he nodded decisively. "I'll give the order. You'd better pray this works, Stewart."

* * *

Zatanna and Wildcat skidded into the containment unit moments after the two Star Sapphires had vanished.

"Where is she?" Zatanna demanded.

"What happened?" Wildcat asked.

"Gone, both of them." Aquaman sounded extremely disgruntled.

"Gone?!" Zatanna exclaimed, at the same time Wildcat repeated, _"Both_ of them?"

"It appears," Doctor Fate interjected, righting his helmet, "that we have been missing a large piece of the puzzle. Apparently, there are in fact _two_ Star Sapphires."

" _Two?!_ " Zatanna looked from Fate to Aquaman to Wildcat, who looked just as bewildered as she. Before she could continue to ask what the hell was going on, Batman's stern voice crackled over the intercom.

 _"Everyone, report to the bridge_ now."

* * *

The Green Lantern Corps were not considered the most effective peacekeeping force in the universe for nothing. Each and every one was trained and held to a high standard, and even the platoon of new Lanterns who had been hurriedly inducted over the last month had been subjected, albeit hastily, to some meticulous drills and vital rules.

One such rule was to listen to the Corps clarissi. While the Guardians were still the ultimate authority, they did not often deliver explicit instructions, trusting instead that their Green Lanterns were wise enough to make independent decisions. More frequently, directions were given by the clarissi, sometimes on behalf of the Guardians, sometimes not — but always, these orders were to be obeyed. Salaak did not pull rank often; when he did, he normally had good reason to, and he got extremely grumpy if he was not heeded.

Thus, the instant they received Salaak's order, every single Green Lantern ceased their individual efforts against the scattered Thunderers, and began surreptitiously shepherding their opponents towards the Central Power Battery. This was accomplished in a variety of ways: from provoking the Qwardians into giving chase, to pushing them with energy blasts, or, as in Kilowog's case, outright kidnapping them in green balls and slinging them towards the desired location.

Whatever the method, the end result was the same. Within thirty minutes of Salaak's order, the majority of Qwardians and nearly all the Green Lanterns were gathered in front of the Central Power Battery, where Salaak himself was already stationed, flanked by John and Katma.

 _"Now!"_ shouted John.

As one, the assembled Corpsmen, their backs to the Power Battery, aimed their fists at the invading horde and willed their rings to draw power straight from the battery. The immense reservoir, always gently humming with energy, now pulsed tangibly with the willpower of every living being in the universe, feeding its light directly into the army of Green Lanterns in a continuous stream of pure energy. The viridescent wall slammed into the mass of Qwardians, incinerating them on the spot.

"I'll be damned, poozer," Kilowog said to John. "That actually worked." He smacked his fist into his palm. "Now we find Sinestro."

* * *

"What's this Fate is telling me about _two_ Star Sapphires?" Zatanna demanded as she stormed onto the Watchtower bridge.

"He's right," replied Hawkgirl. She pulled up the feed from Coast City, which showed the two women battling against each other in the heart of the city.

"Well, that's confusing," Wildcat remarked.

"They are…fighting each other?" Aquaman looked perplexed. "Were they not working together to escape the Watchtower?"

"It's a complicated relationship, I surmise," said Doctor Fate. "From what I gather, the second Star Sapphire freed the one we had in custody so they could settle some sort of dispute." On-screen, one Star Sapphire slammed the other into a car. "A rather violent dispute, apparently."

"Whatever the connection between them," Batman interjected, "we need to assume they're both hostile. And we should definitely stop them from tearing up Coast City. Fate, take Hawkgirl and Aquaman."

With a quick nod, Doctor Fate opened an ankh portal and disappeared into it with the other two heroes. Zatanna looked momentarily mutinous that she hadn't been included in the advance team, but at a cautionary glance from Wildcat, she subsided.

"They'll need backup," said Wildcat.

"I know." Batman was already sending out messages to the two Leaguers he knew were well rested and immune to Star Sapphire's crystal. "Flash, Vixen, teleport in three…two…one…"

* * *

"Where _is_ he?" Katma seethed as she scoured the skies with John.

She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and dodged the anti-matter bolt from the Thunderer below — one of the few stragglers who hadn't been eradicated by the beam from the Central Power Battery. John smacked the Thunderer with a hard light fist and swept him away.

"You're getting the hang of that ring," Katma observed with some pride.

"I had a good teacher."

"That's not what you said before."

"Well, I've changed my mind," John admitted. He ignored Katma's smug grin and said, "Sinestro can't stay hidden for long. He's got half the Corps out looking for him."

"He also knows Oa better than half the Corps," Katma pointed out. "I wouldn't put it past him to know of some secret alcove with a fancy experimental weapon that he's planning to use to —"

A sudden shockwave screamed past them, forcing them back several yards before they managed to regain their bearings.

"What was that?" demanded John.

"It came from that building." Katma pointed at the spire in the distance, on one of the few tall towers that were still intact on the ravaged planet. "It has to be Sinestro. Let's go, Stewart!" She put on a burst of speed and shot away, John trailing close behind her.

They landed on a convenient balcony and ducked inside, wary. There was an uncomfortable tension in the pit of John's stomach; he just knew they were walking into something not good.

"Tui, shouldn't we call for backup?"

Before Katma could respond, a pillar of yellow slammed into her and crushed her into the wall.

"Katma!" John tried to reach her, but another bolt blazed past him and he was forced to flatten himself to the floor. He was able to just barely roll out of the way of the next two attacks, but the third was a yellow hand that seized painfully around his neck and pulled him towards the center of the room, where Sinestro was standing, armed with a new ring in place of the one Arisia had stolen off him. The former Green Lantern scowled as he studied John.

"Your ring is the ring of Sector 2814, but you are not Hal Jordan."

"No…shit." John was struggling for air in Sinestro's chokehold, but he still managed to sound irate.

"Who are you? What happened to Jordan?" Sinestro demanded. He loosened the grip on John's neck slightly so John could answer.

John, for his part, glared balefully at the renegade Lantern. "He resigned."

That actually seemed to take Sinestro aback. "Jordan _gave up_?"

John saw his chance and took it. He powered up his ring and sent a storm of daggers at Sinestro, but watched in astonishment as they all disintegrated against his yellow aura.

Sinestro sneered. "Didn't they tell you your ring doesn't work against mine? Fear is superior to will."

"Is that why you're hiding out in here?" John taunted. "Are you scared?" He'd noticed Katma beginning to stir; all he had to do was buy time, keep Sinestro talking…

"Hardly," Sinestro snorted. "This tower is one of many equipment caches around Oa."

John noted, for the first time, the circular disc in Sinestro's right hand. "You wanted something specific."

"I did. You have no idea, do you, of the powers that exist beyond Oa? Will is not the only emotion on the spectrum."

"Yeah, I get it, fear is superior, you're gonna take over the world, blah blah."

Sinestro's eyes flashed with annoyance at John's deliberately patronising tone. "Not just fear. There are others — some even the Guardians are unaware of. The Qwardians have long been investigating the metaphysical forces in the universe, and they have concluded that there are seven colours on the emotional spectrum. There is a legend — not of Qwardian origin — that the one who can master all seven will unlock the full power of the spectrum and become the White Lantern." Sinestro smiled nastily. "I plan to be that one."

"I think I've heard this in kindergarten," said John. "ROY G BIV, seven colours of the rainbow, and all that."

Behind Sinestro, Katma had silently gotten to her feet.

"I tire of this prattle," said Sinestro. "It's a shame you won't be alive to see the error of your ways when I unite all the colours of spectrum."

John smirked. "I don't think so. Tui, _now!"_

Katma flung rubble at Sinestro, who snarled as he dropped John and whirled to face his fellow Korugarian. John reached out a green pincer and, with remarkable precision under pressure, snatched the disc — which wasn't enveloped in yellow aura — from Sinestro.

Enraged, the Yellow Lantern dove for John, slinging a backhanded blow towards Katma as he did so. John nimbly rose out of the way, but Sinestro's next blast caught him on the leg. Pressing his advantage, Sinestro stung John's hand with a particularly vicious shot, causing him to drop the device. Without missing a beat, Sinestro grabbed and activated the disc, opening up a wormhole, which he vanished into just as Katma's energy dagger flew past where he'd been an instant ago.

"The wormhole!" Katma shouted, racing towards it.

John glanced down, saw the rapidly shrinking wormhole, and, without hesitation, rushed headfirst into it. The portal closed just as he entered, leaving Katma an instant too late and unable to follow.

* * *

"Watch your head!" Flash warned, zipping over to sweep a civilian out of the way of a stray blast of violet energy.

Above them, Doctor Fate and Hawkgirl were trying — and failing — to intervene in the vicious duel between the two Star Sapphires, while Aquaman and Vixen were aiding Flash in getting citizens out of harm's way and attempting to limit damage to Coast City's infrastructure.

"So, what exactly is the story here?" Vixen asked as she leaped over an overturned car to catch a flying piece of tree before it could hit a bystander.

"No idea," Aquaman answered honestly. "The Star Sapphires clearly know each other and obviously have animosity between them. Which of them is responsible for crystallizing men, or whether both of them are, is still up for debate. The current objective is merely to detain both and try to get some answers."

"Easier said than done," Vixen observed, wincing as the two Star Sapphires teamed up to throw Doctor Fate into Hawkgirl before resuming their battle against each other.

Flash sped up to them. "I think the area's all clear of civilians now." He stared up at the Star Sapphires. "Does anyone have any ideas how to get up there?"

"Flash!"

No sooner had Vixen and Aquaman registered with bewilderment that there was still apparently one civilian in the middle of the chaos than Flash streaked towards the street corner, where one familiar figure was taking cover.

"Hal, what the hell are you doing here?" Flash hissed.

"I…don't know," Hal admitted. "I heard about this on the news and I just…felt I had to be here."

Flash took a microsecond to quell his exasperation with his boneheaded best friend. "Hal, do I have to remind you that you don't have a ring anymore? There are two crazy pink ladies beating the living daylights out of each other and we're just trying to do damage control. Right now, the best thing for you to do is to stay far away from —"

 _"You!"_

Both Hal and Flash startled at the venomous screech as one of the Star Sapphires suddenly lunged for Hal. She grabbed the hapless pilot and soared into the sky with him, leaving the other Star Sapphire to tangle with Doctor Fate.

"This is _your_ fault!" she accused Hal.

"What the — _what?!"_ Hal was utterly speechless.

"You failed as a Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. You failed as the protector of Coast City. And you failed _me."_

Hal gaped at her, dumbfounded. "What — how…"

"How do I know who you are?" Star Sapphire huffed derisively. "Take a good long look, Hal. Do you _really_ not recognize me? We've only known each other half our lives."

Hal stared through her mask, noting for the first time the crystal blue eyes behind the violet glare. Realization crashed into him like a ton of bricks.

 _"Carol!?"_

A thunderous boom erupted behind them and a swirling wormhole appeared, flinging them in opposite directions with its force. Star Sapphire managed to right herself in the air before she crashed into a tenth-story window, and Flash cushioned Hal's fall with an arm tornado. Out of the wormhole shot a glowing yellow figure, closely followed by another in green.

"Hal Jordan!" shouted Sinestro. "Where are you?!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: If this were a comic miniseries, this would probably mark the end of the third-to-last issue. Yes, that's a hint as to how much more there is in this story - and how epic (I hope) the remaining chapters shall be.**_

 _ **You now have a month of speculation. Begin! ;)**_


	21. Rainbow Split

_**A/N: Okay, so, a LOT of things have happened since I last update. The world is in crisis at the moment, and countries are in lockdown, and this virus is just going nuts. So yeah, lot of bad things happening, which sucks. But that doesn't mean that it's all doom and gloom - life still, somehow, must go on. One silver lining to having to stay home is that I now have loads of time to read and write - and hopefully you are all also finding ways to make the most out of the situation.  
**_

 _ **Anyway, w**_ _ **elcome back, dear readers! Real world may be in kind of a bad place right now, but this story is about to hit its height. Thanks again to** dorizard **for leaving the one and only review on the previous chapter (and what a nice review it was) and to** PredaconWyvern **for subscribing/favouriting (perhaps you'd care to leave a review this time round? ;). Without further ado, here is the next installment of Hal Jordan's hero's journey.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty: Rainbow Split**

"I don't fucking _believe_ this…"

Flash was just as stunned. "Hal, is that…"

"Yeah. That's Sinestro."

"Why is he _yellow_?"

"Long story."

Up in the air, the flying combatants had temporarily paused to take stock of the astounding situation. Sinestro rose tall and proud, stamping his presence over the airspace. The two Star Sapphires — one of whom was apparently Carol (Hal still couldn't wrap his head around it) were hovering next to each other, on cooperative terms for the moment; Doctor Fate remained off to one side while Hawkgirl flew over to the Green Lantern — whom Hal assumed was his replacement — who was watching Sinestro warily, ring hand at the ready.

"Give me the quick version," said Hawkgirl; John noted and appreciated the militaristic discipline in her no-nonsense tone.

"That's Sinestro, former Green Lantern and now a traitor allied with the Thunderers of Qward. They attacked Oa yesterday." John's gaze shifted to the only other hard light wielders in the vicinity. "Why are there two Star Sapphires?"

"Nobody knows. They apparently have issues with each other; we're just trying to catch them both and sort it out later."

Sinestro too was staring at the Star Sapphires, but not in confusion — he looked more intrigued than anything.

"I didn't think the Star Sapphire Corps had a presence on Earth," he said.

"A _Corps_?" Hawkgirl echoed in disbelief.

"That is none of your business," retorted one Star Sapphire.

"We have our own customs and obligations, just as the Green Lanterns have theirs," added the other.

"Fair enough," said Sinestro. "Don't get in my way and I won't get in yours."

"Deal," both Sapphires agreed.

"Excuse me, but what in Ichthultu's name is going on here?" Hawkgirl interjected.

Sinestro gave her a pitying look. "The affairs of wielders of the emotional spectrum are not your concern."

"You know, smartass, I'm getting real tired of all this 'holier than thou' crap," said John. He closed his hand into a glowing green fist. "Shut up and let your ring do the talking."

"As you wish."

Sinestro dove for him, and the two Lanterns resumed their battle from Oa. Almost at the same time, the two Star Sapphires retreated farther up in the air to continue their duel. Hawkgirl noticed quite quickly that while the Star Sapphires were more or less evenly matched, John was unable to touch Sinestro with any of his constructs. And while the whole double Star Sapphire affair was a messy, ambiguous situation, she knew for a fact that Sinestro was indisputably a bad guy.

"Fate, can you cast a protection spell over this area? So the battles won't cause major damage?"

"Yes, but the nuances could take some time, particularly to be effective against hard light."

"Then get started."

"Very well," said the wizard, "but what exactly is your plan?"

"I'm pulling rank," said Hawkgirl. "We're going to let the Star Sapphires duke it out and then we'll go after them when they've tired themselves out. In the meantime we're going to backup Green Lantern against Sinestro, because I think he needs the help." As if to emphasise her point, a shot of yellow light grazed John's arm, causing him to yell in both pain and anger. "Flash, any objections?" Hawkgirl said over the comm. line, referring to the only other Founder onsite.

 _"Nope, sounds good."_

"Aquaman, Vixen, you heard all that?"

 _"Copy that, Hawkgirl,"_ they acknowledged.

"Good. Let's go." She gripped her mace and charged into Sinestro.

* * *

Down on the streets, Flash was scanning the situation from the ground level. He quickly concluded that there was no way for him and Aquaman to help against Sinestro unless they could get him down to their level, and he wasn't sure whether Vixen's animal mimicry extended to bird's flight — he'd only ever seen her mimic land animals before.

"Hal, got any tips for dealing with your crazy ex-mentor?" When there was no answer, Flash turned to look at his friend, who was staring not at Sinestro, but at the violet glow higher up in the sky. "Hal?"

"Carol…" he muttered.

"Hal!" Flash strode up to the former Green Lantern and shook his shoulder. "Snap out of it!"

Hal finally turned to him, and the peculiar mix of bemusement and horrified realisation in his brown eyes stunned Flash.

"Wally, it's _Carol_."

"Where?" Flash looked around for the black-haired woman he'd only ever seen pictures of.

"She's Star Sapphire… _Carol_ is Star Sapphire. One of them, anyway."

Flash automatically redirected his gaze upwards — from this distance, he could see little of the two Star Sapphires besides their violet auras.

"You're joking."

"Would I joke about this?" Hal exclaimed. "It's her, Wally — I have no clue who the other lady is, but the one who hates my guts is Carol Ferris."

"But Carol's not a meta," said Flash in confusion. "How did she get powers like yours without a ring?"

Hal shrugged helplessly. "I'm just telling you what I know. I didn't recognise her before — I had no idea…and she never said…"

"Carol as Star Sapphire and Sinestro's here in yellow? Helluva coincidence, Hal."

"Yeah, my life is messed up." Hal glanced at the battle between Sinestro and Hawkgirl and the new Green Lantern, and then looked again at the pink flashes in the sky. "Wally, I can't do anything about Sinestro, but maybe I can get through to Carol."

"How?" Flash demanded. "Not five minutes ago she picked you up and looked like she was about to murder you!"

"I don't think she entirely knows what she's doing — the Carol I know would never harm innocents, regardless how she feels about me or Green Lantern. Whatever made her Star Sapphire, it's affecting her judgment. Maybe I can snap her out of it."

"How?" Flash asked again.

"I don't know. But I have to try." Hal gave his friend a pleading look. "Will you help me get to her? Please?"

Flash sighed. After a moment's hesitation, he activated his comm. "Batman, is there anyone who can fly up on the Watchtower?"

 _"Zatanna. Why?"_ The Dark Knight's tone was wary.

"We need air support."

There was a pause. _"I'll send her down."_

"Copy that. Aquaman, you're still on Sinestro; but Vixen, rendezvous on me."

 _"Roger."_

"Thank you, Wally," Hal said gratefully.

"Don't thank me yet. Your ex-girlfriend may still trap us all in crystal — if she doesn't kill you first."

* * *

"Zatanna, I'm sending you down because Flash asked for backup in the air." Before Zatanna could express more than a grim satisfaction at the prospect of fighting Star Sapphire, Batman continued sternly, " _However_ , I need you to understand that this is _not_ the place for emotional recklessness. _Don't_ let Sapphire get under your skin. And avoid her crystal."

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "I know how to look after myself, Bruce."

"I'm counting on that."

Zatanna hopped onto the teleport pad; an instant later she was down in Coast City. She took a quick moment to assess the situation. Doctor Fate was chanting what sounded like a protection spell as various buildings briefly glowed gold under his supervision. Hawkgirl was flying over to assist the new Green Lantern, who was being clobbered backwards by a giant hard light hammer from…Zatanna had no idea who he was, but he looked like a yellow version of a Green Lantern. Aquaman too was making his way to the beleaguered Green Lantern. The Star Sapphires were nowhere to be seen. Catching sight of Flash and Vixen, Zatanna jogged over to them — and was astonished to find them accompanied by Hal Jordan.

"Zatanna!" Flash said when he saw her. "Good, you're here — no time for questions, I'll explain later — suffice to say, one of the Star Sapphires is Hal's ex-girlfriend, and he thinks he can talk her down from her murderous rampage."

Zatanna barely blinked. "Great. Where is she?"

"Somewhere up there." Vixen gestured towards the sky. "My guess is they're both in the stratosphere by now."

"Vixen, does that totem of yours allow you to fly?" asked Flash.

"Yes."

"Okay, good, that makes things easier. Next question: can you hold your own one-on-one against Star Sapphire?"

Vixen frowned. "If she's the same one I've been fighting against this past month, I could probably keep her busy for a while — but not for long, I'd need backup."

"Noted. Right, here's the plan." Flash cleared his throat. "Zatanna, take Hal up and let him get Carol's attention. Judging from her previous reaction to him, she should come after him voluntarily, but if she doesn't, then it's up to you, Hal, to bait her. Once that's done, try to bring her to the ground so Hal can have his heart to heart where I can keep an eye on them. Meanwhile, Vixen, you need to keep the other Sapphire busy — and Zatanna can help you once Hal and Carol are secure."

Zatanna tossed a skeptical glance at Hal. "Do you really think you can get Carol to stop?"

"I have to try," he reiterated. "She blames me, for some reason — and she might not be entirely wrong. I owe it to her to try and snap her out of whatever influence she's under."

Zatanna shrugged. "Okay, but if she's the one who put my father under, she and I are going to have words."

She cast a quick spell to propel Hal and herself into the air, Vixen following close behind with eagle flight.

* * *

John's back slammed into a wall and for a second he saw black. His vision cleared just in time for him to glimpse a yellow bulldozer bearing down on him. Instinctively, he put up a shield, only remembering when the vehicle pierced through green that his ring didn't work against Sinestro's.

"God _dammit_!" He flung himself sideways, scraping his leg against the pavement in an effort to escape — but the bulldozer continued inexorably. John curled into a defensive ball in a futile attempt to protect himself.

Just before the bulldozer could run him over, it vanished. John glanced up to see Hawkgirl raining mace blows onto Sinestro. She was holding her own well, but that would only last until…

Right on cue, Sinestro projected a giant paddle and swatted Hawkgirl away as if she were no more than an irritating gnat. Not for the first time, John cursed the fact that his ring was so ineffectual against the renegade Lantern. _Most powerful weapon in the universe, my_ ass.

"Are you wounded?"

John blinked as Aquaman appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Nothing life-threatening," he replied. Even as he said it, though, he felt his muscles shaking with fatigue. He'd been fighting for hours, after all.

Aquaman noticed. "You are weary."

"I'm fine," John insisted. "I'll rest after we beat Sinestro."

"I presume the only way to ensure he is defeated is to separate him from his ring, or otherwise incapacitate him so that he cannot use it."

"Yes."

Aquaman looked thoughtful. "Tell me, does Sinestro require air to breathe?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Hal and Zatanna to locate the two Star Sapphires; once they gained sufficient altitude, all they had to do was follow the purple lights. When they reached them, the two violet women were locked in battle, each one trying to overpower the other's construct. Hal immediately recognized the plane one Star Sapphire was bringing to bear against the spiked wall of the other; it was the Peregrine.

"Carol!"

She turned at the sound of his voice, startled, and her Peregrine construct faltered. The other Sapphire lunged; but Vixen was there, tackling her and forcing her away.

Meanwhile, Carol's Star Sapphire was glaring at Hal, her aura flaring with her resentment. "What do you want, Hal?" She seemed to be barely restraining herself from attacking him; Hal wasn't sure whether it was because of Zatanna's presence or the influence of Carol's better nature over the Star Sapphire persona.

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh, _now_ you want to talk to me. Where was this all the other times I needed you?"

"I know I haven't always been there for you, and I'm sorry," Hal admitted. "But I'm here now. Please, Carol, let me help."

For a moment, something flickered in Star Sapphire's eyes — Carol's eyes — but then her gaze hardened. "There's nothing for you to help me with anymore."

"Carol…"

"You had your chances, Hal — dozens of them," she threw at him. "Time after time after time — and so many of those times, you weren't there. Even when you were, you were gone again the next time. I could never rely on you, no matter how much I wanted to. You were so busy being Green Lantern you didn't have time to be Hal Jordan. And now, the _one_ time when I need Green Lantern instead, you've _quit_. So tell me, how the hell am I supposed to trust you to help me now?!" Carol was nearly shouting by the end of her speech, her hurt and frustration clearly audible in Star Sapphire's voice. Her aura pulsated wildly, fluctuating with her emotions.

Vixen's voice crackled through the comm., sounding strained. _"Zatanna, anytime you wanna pitch in would be fantastic."_

"Hal, we need to hurry," Zatanna reminded him quietly.

Carol said, "Leave, Hal, before I do something we both regret."

Hal made up his mind. "No." Without warning, he launched himself at Star Sapphire, who shrieked in shock as his weight combined with gravity pulled her downwards.

"Hal!" Zatanna exclaimed as Star Sapphire recovered and rocketed them both up and away.

"Go! Help Vixen!"

He was a regular human without his ring, outmatched against the fury of Star Sapphire, who was coming to the fore and leaving Carol buried once more — but Hal's tone brooked no argument from the sorceress. Faced with the dichotomy of aiding a teammate in distress or helping a civilian who was determined to be suicidal, Zatanna chose the first option, though not without alerting Flash as to what was going on.

"Flash, I'm on my way to back up Vixen. Hal and Star Sapphire have taken off."

 _"Where?"_

"I don't know. Hal just threw himself at her; Star Sapphire's in control."

Flash swore over the comm., but both he and Zatanna knew there was really nothing they could do without more air support.

They both also knew Hal, and knew that whatever happened to him now, it was by his own choice.

* * *

Star Sapphire catapulted up into the clouds, trying her best to dislodge Hal, who whose arms were stubbornly locked around her waist.

"Let _go_!"

"Not until you listen to me!"

"I am _done_ listening to you," she seethed.

She put on a burst of speed and executed a series of loop-de-loops, but Hal was a pilot used to the g-forces inside a plane, and he clung on persistently.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Star Sapphire demanded, exasperated, as she hovered in the air.

"Firstly, I care for you too much to let you carry on as a villain; secondly, if I let go, I will quite literally fall to my death," Hal said quite calmly.

"And whose fault is it that you don't have a ring anymore?"

"It's not my proudest achievement, I'll admit, but that's beside the point. I'm holding on here for _your_ sake, Carol, and unlike so many other times before, I'm not letting go unless you make me."

"I _can_ make you," Star Sapphire threatened, lighting up her fist with violet energy.

"Then do it," Hal challenged. It was less dignified than it might have been, with him still hanging on to her midsection, but the provocation in his voice — the one that dared her — was unmistakeable. "Go on. Hit me with your best shot."

With a cry, Star Sapphire ignited, her aura heating up until Hal was forced to let go. As he tumbled towards the ground, all he was able to register was a vague, stunned numbness that his gamble hadn't worked.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Next chapter will be up next month. Till then, stay safe, stay sane, and be kind!  
**_


	22. Black is the Color of True Love's Hair

_**A/N: Happy Easter, everybody! To celebrate, here is the chapter I think you've all been waiting for. Cheers!**_

 _ **P.S. Thanks to** PredaconWyvern **and** dorizard **for reviewing.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair**

The plan outlined by Aquaman was simple. John would lure Sinestro to the shoreline (it wasn't that far away) so that the Atlantean King could command the ocean against the Yellow Lantern. The idea was that since Sinestro did need to breathe, they could subdue him with water ("We'll only drown him a little bit," Aquaman had said). Hawkgirl was available as reinforcement, but Doctor Fate was not, still occupied with casting his protective enchantments over the city. His absence from active battle was a wrench for the Leaguers, but it was necessary, as Sinestro was fully capable of causing massive structural damage to endanger lives or just outright holding civilians hostage, in order to achieve his aims.

The plan was simple, but the execution was anything but. For one, Sinestro refused to allow himself to be herded where they wanted him to go.

"You again?" Sinestro looked annoyed as John came up behind him for the umpteenth time. He rammed a solid energy beam into John, favoring expediency over elaborate constructs. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet, Green Lantern?"

Doctor Fate's nearly invisible force field was wrapped around most of Coast City's structures by now; it shimmered gold where John was shoved against it by Sinestro's attack. John braced his back against Fate's shield and gritted his teeth against the yellow onslaught, straining with all his will to affect it in some way. He might have been imagining it, but he rather thought that the blast wasn't quite as strong as it normally was; he managed to stay in the air, at least. Sinestro noticed, and his eyes narrowed fractionally.  
"I'm a rather slow learner," said John. With a sudden inspiration, he added, "Just ask Katma Tui."

"Tui?" Sinestro's face contorted into a scowl. "You're that familiar with that irritant, then?"

John smirked. "Oh yeah. She trained me, you know. So you have her to thank that I'm not dead yet." He smiled grimly as Sinestro poured more force into his beam.

"Well, that explains why you're so pitiful," the Yellow Lantern scoffed. "Tui is barely more than a probationary Corpsman herself. Though I will commend you for picking up her talent for being an incessant pest."

John was struggling to maintain his position, but he'd spotted a way to manipulate Sinestro here, so he forced himself to stay afloat. Trying to split his focus between defending against Sinestro's attack and continuing to get under the Korugarian's skin, he needled, "Tui told me all about how her revolution threw you off Korugar while she was training me. You know she was picked as your successor because of that?"

Sinestro snarled as he intensified the beam; John would have been forced backwards if not for Doctor Fate's magic behind him, which held strong. Still, the former Marine refused to falter. Sinestro couldn't see it, but John was actually managing, through sheer stubbornness, to project a tiny green buffer against the yellow stream. It was taking tremendous effort, but it was enough for John to realize that maybe green rings weren't useless against yellow fear after all.

"Why should I care that she inherited my position? I care nothing for the Green Lantern Corps anymore. It is a backwards, narrow-minded institution — Tui fits in well."

"But still," John panted as sweat dripped down his forehead, "it must rankle, knowing that the person responsible for kicking you off your own planet is now in charge of your home sector — the very sector _you_ protected for so many years, the sector you tried to 'bring order to'." John raised his voice to deliver the final sting. "Katma Tui is undoing all your hard work, Sinestro, and I, for one, couldn't be happier!"

Sinestro uttered an inarticulate cry of rage. His yellow beam expanded and blazed, burning with the force of a star. A nearly-exhausted John finally allowed himself to drop, and Sinestro's beam splashed against Doctor Fate's force field. The much stronger resistance from the sorcerer's magic defenses reflected his own hard light attack against him; the rebound hurled Sinestro halfway to the coastline. Hawkgirl took immediate advantage; without giving Sinestro a chance to regain his balance, she swooped in and whacked the Yellow Lantern across the chest, her nth metal mace and Thanagarian strength propelling him the rest of the way to the shore, within reach of the tides controlled by Aquaman. Under the command of the King of Atlantis, the Pacific Ocean rose, a living wall of water, and swallowed Sinestro into its depths.

"How long should we keep him there?" Hawkgirl asked as she landed next to Aquaman on the beach. John caught up seconds later, looking rather the worse for the wear.

"I'd say five minutes, at least," he replied. "I don't know exactly how durable Korugarians are, but it's a safe bet that Sinestro is a lot hardier than the average human."

"The fish will tell me when he passes out," Aquaman assured them. "All we have to do is wait."

Their simple plan had been quite a good one, and its execution had been tricky, but successfully managed. Unfortunately, all three of them had forgotten one small, automatic, absolutely _key_ function of a power ring:

The energy aura supplied everything its user required to live…

Including air.

* * *

Hal felt rather than saw the ground rushing up to meet him. He closed his eyes to brace for his inevitable death, but the impact didn't occur.

Hal opened his eyes and saw that he was suspended in a purple force field. Glancing up, he saw Star Sapphire half glaring, half crying.

"Hal, you _absolute idiot_!"

"Carol?" he ventured cautiously.

She set them both down on the ground and threw her arms around him, and he knew it was Carol, not Star Sapphire, who sobbed into his shoulder.

"Why would you do that, Hal? _Why?_ I could have…I almost…"

"Shhh," he said soothingly as he wrapped her in his embrace. "You didn't."

"But I _did_! I forced you to let go…I let you fall, and I wasn't going to…I was just going to watch…"

Hal pressed a kiss to her hair. "You caught me," he assured her. "You saved me. _That_ is who you are, Carol Ferris, not whatever this Star Sapphire identity is."

Carol pulled away to stare at him in awe. Her mask had disappeared, replaced by a simple pink tiara, still sporting its glowing gem. "And you — you're the Green Lantern!"

"I _was_ Green Lantern," he corrected her gently. "I'm not anymore. I'm just Hal Jordan…and Hal Jordan was enough."

"Who would've thought?" Carol joked weakly. She looked down at herself and grimaced. "Ugh, what am I wearing?"

Hal felt it was an inappropriate time to mention that he actually found the revealing leotard quite appealing on her. Instead he gestured at the outfit and said, "So what's the story?"

"I'm…not entirely sure…I remember finding a gemstone…" Carol frowned thoughtfully. "Yes, a violet gem — I found it on the same day as the first Peregrine flight. It's beautiful, Hal. Pure and lovely — gentle, but strong…"

Hal tapped the jewel in her tiara. "I'm guessing this is the gem? Is that where your powers come from?"

"For now, yes."

"What d'you mean, for now?"

Carol shook her head. "I don't know everything…it's an initiation ritual, I don't get full access until I win…"

"Carol, slow down." Hal placed his hands on her shoulders. "There's no rush, okay? I'm not judging you. Just tell me what you can."

Carol inhaled deeply and steadied herself. "There's a Star Sapphire Corps. Like the Green Lanterns, apparently, but they run on a different emotion — love, not will. They're based on Zamaron."

Finally, an explanation for Zamaron. Hal thought a lot of things suddenly made sense.

" _That's_ how you knew about the Green Lanterns," he realized.

"I don't know how I knew," said Carol. "I don't quite remember half the stuff I did as Star Sapphire. I just know everything came from this gem."

"I think your gem is like a Green Lantern ring," Hal explained. "It gives you an aura, the ability to make hard light constructs, information about the universe…and it runs on an emotion, just like a GL ring."

Carol looked like she was thinking — or remembering — very hard. "Star Sapphires have rings too," she said slowly. "It's _supposed_ to be a ring — except I don't get mine until and unless I win the contest."

"What contest?"

"The queen contest." Carol blinked as she accessed the information from some newly unlocked space in her mind. "I'm…competing to be Queen of the Star Sapphires."

* * *

John wasn't sure why he didn't remember it sooner. Perhaps because he was still relatively new to the ring. Perhaps because the rushed nature of his training meant he couldn't take the time to fully absorb and understand everything the ring could do. Perhaps it was sheer fatigue from hours of fighting first on Oa, then on Earth. Perhaps because in his relief to finally have a solid plan against Sinestro, he forgot to consider the flaw in Aquaman's proposal to 'drown him a little bit.'

Either way, it completely slipped his mind that Sinestro's ring made him immune to a lack of air until it was too late.

Brilliant yellow burst from the ocean an instant before Sinestro himself. The Yellow Lantern was almost incandescent with rage, sick of being thwarted.

 _"Enough!"_ he bellowed. He clenched his fist and channeled the most powerful radial blast he could, his eyes burning gold. _"Burn!"_

The yellow shockwave enveloped the beach, forcefully hurling John, Hawkgirl, and Aquaman in different directions. Hawkgirl was tossed far into the sea. Aquaman took an energy blow to the head and was flung into the closest edge of Doctor Fate's citywide force field. John's back cracked painfully against a tree and he crumpled to the ground, blood leaking from his temple.

Satisfied that none of the three were going to interfere any longer, and still remembering his reason for coming to Earth in the first place, Sinestro turned his gaze northward, where his ring was telling him a certain former apprentice of his was.

Sinestro set his jaw.

"Time to settle a score."

* * *

 _"Queen?"_ Hal repeated. "Of an _intergalactic corps?_ "

Carol shrugged. "That's how the Star Sapphires work, apparently."

"And they don't ever pick the queen from the existing Corpsmen — uh, Corpswomen? They just send out these two gems and draft two random ladies to fight for the position?"

"I don't know the reasons behind it," Carol said impatiently. "I just know what the stakes are for me. If I beat the other candidate in battle, I win my own ring and the right to lead the Corps. If I lose, I don't. Simple as that."

"And who's the other candidate?" Hal jabbed his thumb at the sky to indicate the other Star Sapphire."

"Debbie Darnell."

Hal couldn't believe his ears. " _Debbie Darnell?!_ Does she know what she's doing?" Was she under the Star Sapphire's influence when she sabotaged the Peregrine? Was that why she did it in the first place — to mess with Carol and gain some advantage in this queen contest? Hell, was the contest the reason why Carol had taken such an interest in Debbie and personally recruited her?

"I don't know," Carol replied. "The gem would have done something to make her forget some aspect of who she is — it's a condition of the contest — but I don't know which parts or to what extent. For me, it just erased my awareness of the Star Sapphire identity and anything I did as Star Sapphire when I wasn't her. I only remembered who I was when you were falling and I saved you."

Hal considered that. "So…you passed some sort of test when you did that?"

"Guess so."

Carol didn't elaborate, and Hal didn't pry. Star Sapphires drew their power from love; it wasn't hard to guess what that test had been. This was neither the time nor place for them to discuss their complicated relationship and lingering feelings for each other.

"So what now?" he asked. "How do we sort out this mess?"

Carol sighed. "Whatever needs to be sorted out — crystallized men, whether I actually _want_ to be Queen of the Star Sapphires — it has to wait until the contest is settled. Either Debbie or I have to win — it's the only way to move forward."

Hal made a face. "Does this mean I need to send you off into battle?"

Carol actually smirked. "Yes. It's your turn now."

Flash sped onto the scene just then, looking relieved when he spotted the pair. " _There_ you are!" He looked from Carol to Hal. "She's not going to kill you, right?"

"Not right now," Carol agreed.

"Oh, good, you seem sane." Flash wasted no more time. "Vixen's injured and Zatanna can't handle the other Star Sapphire by herself. We need to —"

A yellow bolt crashed into the sand, cutting Flash off and knocking Hal off his feet.

"Jordan," Sinestro sneered. "Finally. You've been hiding like a coward."

"No, I've just had other priorities," Hal retorted as he dusted himself off. "What are you doing here, Sinestro? What do you want on Earth?"

"The same thing I want on any other planet. Order. Control." Sinestro's eyes narrowed as his gaze bore into Hal. "But that can wait for a later time. I'm here now to deal with _you_."

"Why?" Hal demanded. "I'm not even a Green Lantern anymore!"

"I'm not here to fight Green Lantern, Jordan. I'm here to address my grievances with you." A dark expression stole across Sinestro's face. "You betrayed me, Jordan, twice. For that, you die."

He struck without warning, grabbing Hal and slinging him a good distance away. Hal landed face first on the beach and barely had time to spit out sand before Sinestro was upon him again.

"Get on your feet, Jordan. Let's see what you're made of without that ring!"

Hal hastily rolled away as Sinestro turned the sand where he had been into glass. The next offensive shattered the glass and sent the pieces straight at him; all Hal could do was curl up and shield his head as he felt the shards slicing through his skin.

 _He's toying with me._ Otherwise Hal would be dead already.

When Sinestro didn't immediately follow up with another attack, Hal dared a glance up. His former mentor was smirking down at him, wearing an expression that was part malice, part disappointment, part pity.

"It's a shame you gave up the ring, Jordan. I would have enjoyed crushing you in battle before I actually killed you. But I suppose either way, you know who is truly superior." Sinestro aimed his left fist at Hal. "Goodbye, Hal Jordan."

He fired the killing blow, but a gleaming pink shield sprang up to deflect it.

"Hal, run!" Carol cried.

Before Hal could react, Flash had picked him up and dashed away with him, while simultaneously speaking urgently into his comm.

"Flash to Doctor Fate — situation report."

 _"I've just fished Hawkgirl out of the ocean."_

"Is she okay?"

 _"She's all right, but she's out cold, as are Aquaman and Green Lantern."_

"Damn it!" Flash cursed. He had no delusions that he was equipped to deal with hard light wielders; as it stood, Doctor Fate was the only available reinforcement he could deploy — but both Carol and Zatanna needed help. Flash, as the senior Leaguer onsite, had to make a decision. "Fate, go back up Zatanna."

"What about Carol?" Hal asked in concern.

"She's going to have to handle herself for a while."

"You can't leave her on her own against Sinestro!"

"Sinestro and Star Sapphire have incapacitated three League members and Green Lantern," Flash snapped. "I don't have a ton of options here."

"You have me."

Flash stopped running and gave his friend a death glare worthy of Batman. "I'm _not_ letting you fight Sinestro. It's _suicide_. He just nearly finished you off!"

"He trained me, I know how he works," Hal argued. "I'm the best person to take him down."

"Hal, how many times do I have to remind you — _you don't have a ring!_ "

"I'll use John's. He doesn't need it at the moment."

"That —" Flash's mouth caught up with his brain. "Okay, that actually might work." He gave Hal a very serious look. "Hal, are you _sure_?"

"I'm the only reason Sinestro's here. He's not gonna stop till he gets what he wants." Hal's jaw set with steely resolve. "He wants a fight, I'll give it to him."

Seeing that Hal had made his mind up, Flash gave in. "All right. Lay low and I'll go get the ring."

Hal shook his head. "You won't be able to take it off. It's a failsafe mechanism to prevent others from getting the ring without its bearer's consent."

"Then how the hell are you gonna use it?"

Hal smiled knowingly. "It was _my_ ring before it was John's, and it refused to leave me on its own. Its allegiance should still be mine."

"I hope you're right," Flash grumbled as he picked up Hal again. "Fine, hold on and hope we don't get spotted."

They managed to make it to where John was without incident. The Green Lantern was still dead to the world. Flash winced at the sight of him.

"He really doesn't look good."

Hal bent down and found John's ring hand, muttering an apology for what he was about to do. He knew it was necessary, but it still didn't feel quite right taking the ring off John this way, especially since Hal himself had renounced his right to it. But the ring slid off John's finger easily, willingly ceding to Hal, and it settled on his palm with a warm, reassuring weight, filling the emptiness he didn't know he'd been carrying around.

 _Hal Jordan,_ the ring's interface echoed in his mind, _Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps._

Hal gazed at the ring as if it was his first time seeing it — he certainly hadn't heard that welcome the first time the ring came to him — but it felt so _right_. How had he ever given this up?

He was snapped back to reality by Carol landing on the beach, looking a bit winded but otherwise unharmed.

"Where's Sinestro?" Flash asked at once.

"I tricked him into attacking Debbie for a bit, but it won't be long before he realizes he's fighting the wrong Star Sapphire," answered Carol. "Hal, you need to get out of here. He's dead set on murdering you."

"I know. But he's going to find it tougher than he thinks." Hal showed her the ring on his palm.

Carol gaped. "Is that…?"

"Yes." Hal's voice was firm, his expression resolute. "I'm not running away this time. Sinestro is my responsibility, and I'm not afraid of that anymore."

Carol stared. Then she smiled. "Well then, Green Lantern." Her tiara extended and became a mask once more, but it wasn't the cat's eye design of before; it now covered the entire top half of her face, similar to a pilot's goggles, but retaining the tiara points and leaving openings for her eyes. "Looks like we both have our own battles today."

Hal nodded. He looked down at the ring in his hand, feeling a sense of rightness, a determination he'd been lacking for a long time and had finally rediscovered. But it was different, now. Where before he'd felt weighed down by his responsibility, striving to prove that he was worthy of the ring — now he knew without a doubt that he _was_ worthy. This ring had chosen _him_ — it had returned to him willingly when its new bearer was unable to continue the fight — and even though Hal was no longer the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, the ring still showed him preference over his successor. John had wielded it with valor and tenacity, but it was still _Hal's_ ring. Hal knew now that he had nothing to prove, only an identity to reclaim.

Renewed, refreshed, redeemed, Hal restored his ring to its rightful place on his finger and closed his right hand into a fist. A brilliant emerald glow enshrouded him, and his eyes shone green.

 _"In brightest day, in blackest night,_  
 _No evil shall escape my sight._  
 _Let those who worship evil's might_  
 _Beware my power, GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"_

A surge of pure viridescence temporarily blinded everyone in the vicinity. When the green radiance dimmed back to visible levels, it was no longer just Hal Jordan who stood there.

Standing on the Coast City shoreline, confident and strong, his aura brighter than ever before, Hal Jordan was once again the Green Lantern.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Till next month! Stay safe and review, please :)**_


	23. Green Lantern's Light

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I've had this chapter ready for a while, but in the busyness of life, work, and the madness that is the world (and the lack of reviews prodding me to do so :P), I forgot about updating. Oh well - better late than never!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Green Lantern's Light**

Sinestro slashed through Star Sapphire's crystal like it was paper, outraged. "We had a deal, Sapphire!"

"Yes, that's what I thought too!" Star Sapphire fired another blast at him.

"I'm not the one who broke it."

"Excuse me? _You_ attacked _me_!"

"You interfered in my affairs!" Sinestro accused.

Star Sapphire dodged his beam. "I don't care about your affairs!"

"Then why protect Hal Jordan? Who is he to you?"

"Jordan?" Star Sapphire paused and nearly got skewered by Sinestro's sword. "Wait — _wait_!"

Sinestro held back his construct, lifting an eyebrow.

"You've got the wrong Star Sapphire! It's the other one — _she's_ the one who loves Hal Jordan."

Sinestro's eyes flashed as he realized he'd been tricked. "Why, that little —"

"I'd be very careful what you say next, Sinestro."

Sinestro whipped his head around. Hal Jordan smiled grimly at him through his mask, prominently displaying the green ring glowing brightly on his finger. Next to him was the second Star Sapphire, who was eyeing her counterpart with steely determination.

"So you borrowed your ring back," sneered Sinestro. "It still won't do anything against me."

"We'll see."

By now Doctor Fate and Zatanna had arrived on scene, with Flash watching on from the rooftop of the nearest building, while Vixen nursed her broken arm on the ground below.

Hal raised his voice so the Leaguers could hear him.

"Everyone stay out of this. This is my fight."

"And mine," Carol added, locking eyes with her competitor.

The other Star Sapphire curled her hands into fists. "Time to settle this contest."

The two Star Sapphires collided into each other the same time Hal and Sinestro traded their opening blows, but it wasn't long before the battling pairs separated, each taking their duel to their own arena. The Star Sapphires, still unable to make full use of their hard light constructs, resorted to more flying acrobatics to try to literally gain the upper hand; they therefore moved higher and higher into the sky. Hal and Sinestro, meanwhile, both extraordinarily skilled Lanterns, remained more or less where they had started, bringing the full force of their rings against each other. Hal's battering ram clashed with Sinestro's giant claw in a dazzling burst of light, holding only for an instant before yellow began to bleed into green.

"Stubborn as ever, Hal Jordan," sneered Sinestro as Hal struggled to keep the yellow at bay. "You were not able to defeat me last time; you will not defeat me now."

Hal clenched his fist harder. "You…wanna…bet?"

With a great cry, Hal poured more will into his ring, tapping into a reservoir he didn't know he had to _make_ it cut through yellow fear. The ring burned and pain shot up his arm, but Hal gritted his teeth and persisted. This was a new kind of willpower — raw, pure, utterly unshakeable — the kind of will that came only from having forced one's way up from the lowest of lows, relying only on one's own determination to scramble up an impossibly steep mountain. Hal Jordan had been beaten down by tragedy, betrayal, and his own fears and failures, but like a phoenix, he had risen again to reclaim his place as a Green Lantern; and the journey, as it usually does in such cases, had propelled him to an even higher pinnacle than before.

Sinestro might be the master of fear, but Hal had overcome it to a degree never before seen in the Green Lantern Corps.

As the Yellow Lantern watched with wide, disbelieving eyes, Hal's green battering ram halted its yellow counterpart, before surging forward with vengeance. Sinestro had to dart upwards to avoid the burst of power from his former apprentice. When the battering ram faded, Sinestro turned and found Hal rising up to match his altitude with a familiar smirk on his face.

"Now, what were you saying?"

* * *

Carol aimed a blast of crystal at Debbie, who disintegrated it with ease and wasn't slowed in the least as she advanced.

"You really should have practiced more with the crystal," Debbie taunted, firing her own beam; unlike Debbie, Carol had to shield herself against it. "Your structure is weak, easily broken. It wouldn't hold anyone."

"Excuse me for not wanting to 'practice' trapping innocent men," Carol retorted. She fired an energy beam, which Debbie easily dodged.

"Well, then, you should have at least practiced the other stuff." Debbie's fist glowed as she punched, landing the hit squarely on Carol's jaw and knocking her off her flight course. "Look at you! It's so clear you don't know how to make full use of your powers. We are fighting to be Queen and you were busier talking to Green Lantern than competing!"

Carol rubbed her jaw, glaring at Debbie. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Oh, I understand." Debbie tapped the jewel glowing in her mask. "I get the same information you do, remember? Love," she scoffed, "only works if he loves you back — ahhhh!"

Carol had taken advantage of Debbie's monologue to pin her against a skyscraper with a clawed hand. "How do you know he doesn't?" she challenged as another, smaller hand began reaching for Debbie's Star Sapphire gem.

Debbie blocked Carol's searching hand, then used a giant knife construct to slice through the violet fingers keeping her trapped.

"Look what you gave up for him! You did so much, both as Carol and Star Sapphire. You helped him pull himself back together after Ace. You were his pillar of support in his time of doubt. You gave him second chances over and over again. You saved him from Doctor Polaris, picked up his slack and guarded his city when he failed his duties as a Green Lantern. And what has he given you in return?"

Debbie sneered as she conjured a violet image of Hal angrily marching away from a frustrated and disappointed Carol. Carol recognized the scene well — it was the end of their fight the day after the failure of the first Peregrine. They had never properly made that up, even till now; they had mended fences somewhat over the last three months, but neither of them had addressed that fight or the grievances aired that day, choosing instead to walk on eggshells around the elephant in the room.

"Grief, loneliness, and a broken heart…every time," Debbie finished softly, as the hard light version of Carol reacted the same way the real Carol had three months ago — burying her head in her hands, trying to ignore the tears that threatened to spill. Carol was painfully reminded of the many, many times Hal had put her in that position, not just that day, but for years.

And Debbie's next question drove the point home. "Tell me, Star Sapphire — how is this love?"

* * *

Hal dove under Sinestro's hard light left cross and sucker-punched the Yellow Lantern with a green fist of his own. The Korugarian stumbled backwards, but regained his bearings in time to dodge Hal's next blow, before launching into a series of offensives of his own. Hal, however, avoided all of them with ease, countering with a barrage of energy blasts. Sinestro responded by erecting a dome shield around himself, no doubt to buy himself time to strategize his way out of his current predicament.

Sinestro clearly hadn't been expecting a fair fight. Hal darted around him, poking and prodding at his shield. Overcoming the nullifying effect of Sinestro's yellow light against his own green will took more effort than merely making constructs, but Hal found it was getting easier with each strike. Sinestro appeared to realize this too, and he scowled as Hal's persistent jabs at his shield threatened to break through altogether.

And then one did.

Sinestro, though, had been waiting for it. He dropped the shield at once, veered to one side, and tossed coils of yellow rope around Hal. Having trapped his quarry, Sinestro flung Hal into some nearby telephone wires, where the latter endured an unpleasant buzz that wasn't entirely dampened by his bodily force field.

Hal severed the wires with one snip of a giant scissors construct, which he then quickly molded into a mace to parry the strike from Sinestro's axe. They continued in this vein for some time, until Hal got in a lucky hit at Sinestro's back that sent the renegade Lantern crashing deep into an underground construction site through a hole that Doctor Fate's protection spell had missed.

Hal landed next to the destroyed scaffolding, peering into the depths for any sign of Sinestro. Flash dashed up next to him, closely followed by Hawkgirl, wringing out her waterlogged wings.

"Nice mace," she remarked to Hal.

"Yours was the inspiration."

"I figured."

Flash leaned over the opening as far as he dared. "Where is he?"

As if in answer, a blinding yellow explosion burst from the hole, sending shockwaves rippling through the street. An enraged Sinestro caught Hal by the neck and soared back into the sky, without any care for the consternation he was causing Hal's friends.

"He'll be fine, he'll be fine, he'llbefine," muttered Flash. He glanced at Hawkgirl, who looked equally worried. "He will be fine, right?"

Hawkgirl could only shrug her wings. She had faith in Hal's abilities, but she also knew that he had not been Green Lantern for almost two months and was still shaking the rust off his skills. Sinestro, on the other hand, was powerful, at his peak, and royally pissed off — and to top it all off, he'd trained Hal.

Flash anxiously scanned the sky, hoping to see green rather than yellow.

"Hal, please don't die."

* * *

Carol watched the various images created by Debbie traipse around her, drawn out by the Star Sapphire's power. Every negative moment she'd had with Hal — every argument, every disappointment — was playing out around her all at once, like some warped version of a film, all in purple.

"This is your _love_ , Carol Ferris," Debbie spat. "It is broken and pathetic, and you cannot be Queen of the Star Sapphires with such a love."

"And what is yours, then?" Carol asked quietly. "Whom do _you_ love, Debbie Darnell?"

Debbie actually blinked. "I…"

"You don't remember, do you?" said Carol. The simulacrums of her thorny periods with Hal had started to fade. "You've been so caught up in Star Sapphire you've lost yourself." Her eyes widened as she had an epiphany. " _That_ is the contest, not this battle. It's not about who wins a physical fight — it's who can hold on to their love and stay true, even when it's difficult."

"No," Debbie denied. "No, that's not it."

"Yes, it is." Carol swept aside the last of Debbie's images and replaced them with her own. Instead of a slideshow of hers and Hal's low points, Carol showed Debbie — and also reminded herself in the process — the many good, even great, moments they had _also_ had.

"Love is patient." Hal coming to her the day after Christmas, apologizing profusely for missing the day itself and making it up to her with a thoughtfully planned Boxing Day surprise.

"Love is kind." Hal agreeing to test pilot Ferris Air's military planes without any monetary compensation, when a hesitant Carol at the start of her vice-presidency was trying to renew her company's contract with U.S.A.F.

"Love is selfless." Hal during one of their numerous breakups, telling her to find someone better and be happy.

"Love is sacrifice." Hal putting his life in Carol's hands to free her from Star Sapphire's influence.

"Love perseveres." Twelve years of knowing each other, a decade of being on and off and on and off again, countless times hurting each other — and yet, here they were, still loving each other even when they weren't together.

"Love," finished Carol, with a final image of hers and Hal's earlier embrace after Carol had conquered her Star Sapphire persona, "is acceptance."

"Love is a battlefield!" screeched Debbie. She reached for Carol with glowing pink tentacles; Carol created pincers to pry them apart. "You have to fight for it, make it yours! Otherwise you leave yourself vulnerable and there's no end to the pain they could cause you!"

"Perhaps." Carol shielded herself against Debbie's strong, but sloppy, crystal attack. "But that's part of love. And any Star Sapphire, if she truly understands love, must accept that." She looped a violet lasso around Debbie and held her fast, and despite the latter's struggles, she couldn't loosen the bonds. "Sometimes, Debbie," Carol said compassionately, "it takes more strength — more _love_ — not to fight."

Debbie's aura blazed in a last, desperate attempt to break free, but Carol was stronger. Her lasso construct did not budge, and she pulled her captive towards her.

"Sometimes, love is pain, or love is letting go. A Star Sapphire has to accept all aspects of her love, and not just the ones she deems desirable. If you can't understand that…" Carol's finger brushed against Debbie's Star Sapphire jewel. "…you cannot be Queen."

And Carol Ferris claimed her second Star Sapphire gem. The instant her hand closed over it, the gem glowed brilliantly. The Star Sapphire gem in Carol's own mask responded in kind, extending its radiance to join that of its twin. Out of this glorious convergence of violet light materialized a solid purple ring, etched with a star insignia that matched the midriff-baring cutout in Carol's and Debbie's leotards.

 _Carol Ferris of Earth. You have great love in your heart. Welcome to the Star Sapphires._

Carol did not hear Debbie's protests as the violet haze transported her away — back to where she was supposed to be now that she was no longer a Star Sapphire Queen candidate. As the two jewels dimmed and then vanished, their purpose now accomplished, the Star Sapphire ring floated towards Carol and nestled on her finger as if it was always meant to be there.

 _Carol Ferris of Earth. Welcome to the Star Sapphires. Welcome, our Lady Queen._

And instantly, the ring's power — the full potential of love's violet light — filled Carol more completely than the gem's influence ever had. Unbidden, the words of her oath came to her lips.

 _"For hearts long lost and full of fright,_  
 _For those alone in blackest night,_  
 _Accept our ring and join our fight._  
 _Love conquers all with violet light!"_

* * *

Sinestro tossed Hal around in the air like a rag doll, using a large yellow paddle to bat him around like a human baseball. Hal finally managed to break his momentum by cushioning the next swing with green energy, but Sinestro was on him almost immediately, using his ring to enhance his strength and shove Hal all the way down to the ground.

"Do you know," said Sinestro as he used a construct to mash Hal's head into the asphalt, "I'm quite glad you got your ring back. This way, when I kill you, you'll know it wasn't because I had a superior advantage." He leaned in close to make sure Hal heard every word of his next line. "When I kill you, you will know that you just…weren't…good enough."

Though his vision was filled with yellow and dirt, Hal blindly aimed a punch that staggered Sinestro long enough for the former to maneuver his legs to kick him off. Hal jumped to his feet, ignoring the residual headache and the blood trickling from his cuts, and met Sinestro's next power ring attacks blow for blow.

"You're losing your touch, Sinestro," he taunted. "That little speech might have worked a day or two ago — hell, even two hours ago — but I'm not afraid anymore."

"Everyone is afraid of something," Sinestro scoffed. "You overcame the last fear you had, fine — but there is always something. I just have to find it."

"You're welcome to try. Nothing you could do to me could be worse than what I did to myself."

In his peripheral vision, Sinestro glimpsed a flare of violet, and his expression became bloodcurdlingly malicious. "Is that so?"

Without warning, he stopped attacking and zoomed away. Hal saw where he was heading and immediately realized what he was up to.

"No!" He streaked after Sinestro as fast as he could. He was fast enough to catch up to the Yellow Lantern just as he reached his target location, but too slow to prevent Sinestro from spearing Carol through her back. _"NO!"_

The wickedly sharp, curved blade of the yellow weapon tore into the Star Sapphire's unprotected back and emerged from her front just below her ribcage. Carol's eyes went wide with pain and shock; Sinestro withdrew his construct and her violet aura faltered and dimmed before flickering out completely as she lost consciousness and dropped from the air.

 _"Carol!"_

Hal dove to catch her, but Zatanna got there first. The Mistress of Magic had been watching the battle of the Star Sapphires, and she reacted quickly to save the new queen.

 _"Sisats Dleif!"_

The spell gently caught the falling Star Sapphire in mid-air and locked her into a state of suspended animation, to prevent her from succumbing to her wound before they could get her medical attention.

"Carol!" Hal hovered near her, his expression anguished, but he dared not touch her lest he disrupt Zatanna's spell.

"I've got her — Hal, _I've got her_ ," Zatanna assured him as Doctor Fate suddenly appeared next to them. "Fate and I will manage Carol, I promise — you just go get that son of a bitch."

Hal looked up at where Sinestro was still floating. For the first time in this whole sordid series of events — the first time since Sinestro's trial — he was truly enraged at his former mentor. His gaze hardened and his hands curled into fists. "Oh, I _will_."

With a last, worried glance at Carol, Hal rose again to meet Sinestro.

"Well?" Sinestro drawled. "Was that worse than what you 'did to yourself'?"

Instead of answering, Hal uttered an inarticulate howl of fury. He socked the smug Yellow Lantern across the jaw with all the force he could muster, longing to feel the crunch of bone beneath his knuckles, but denied the satisfaction by Sinestro's protective aura.

"How _dare_ you?!" he bellowed, punching Sinestro again.  
"Ah, so it _was_ worse," said Sinestro, wiping the blood from his mouth. His eyes darkened and became menacing. "Good." He powered up his ring and plowed a bowling ball into Hal, who willed his force field to defend him. The ball cannoned off his newly impenetrable armor with a deafening clang, then morphed into an enormous dragon that screamed its scorn at the city and snapped its hungry jaws at Hal.

Hal stayed right where he was, his eyes flashing green fire. With an almighty roar, another dragon materialized in front of Sinestro's beast, snarling at its yellow foe. "You are not getting away with this, Sinestro!"

"I already have!" thundered Sinestro. "If I cannot have my revenge on you personally, I will have it on the ones you love! That Star Sapphire is the Carol Ferris you so often spoke of, is it not?"

Hal's emerald dragon let loose an earth-shattering growl. "You will not _touch_ her again."

The first impact of the two draconian constructs was jarring. The second shook the very air. Sinestro's dragon wrapped its massive tail around its adversary's neck, while Hal's dragon clawed viciously at yellow scales. The Justice League members in the vicinity watched in awe as fear and will fought for dominance through their reptilian avatars.

"By Poseidon!" Aquaman exclaimed in disbelief. He had made his way to Flash and Hawkgirl and was half-supporting a limping John Stewart.

"Can somebody explain what the hell is going on?" John demanded.

In response, Flash dazedly pointed towards the sky. "Giant dragons."

"Yeah, no shit," retorted John. "Who the hell is using my ring?"

"Your predecessor," Hawkgirl replied succinctly, her eyes still tracking the war waging above.

Abruptly, the green dragon vanished. Flash swore, frantically scanning the airspace for Hal.

Up above, Sinestro was just as taken aback by the sudden disappearance of his emerald nemesis. His yellow dragon hovered, awaiting further direction, while Sinestro himself ordered his ring to scan for the missing Green Lantern. His ring promptly reported that Hal Jordan was right in front of him.

"What in Korugar's name —"

"Boo."

Hal burst out from within the depths of the yellow dragon's maw, his blinding green radiance disintegrating the rest of the construct in the process. Sinestro barely had time to register Hal's presence before the Green Lantern proceeded to hammer him with dozens of green fists. Sinestro instinctively lashed out with a blazing yellow explosion that bought him enough space to strike at Hal from a distance. Hal, however, met his energy beam with his own green force. Both Lanterns had given up on constructs by now, each trying to overwhelm the other with sheer power.

And Hal was winning.

"This…is…impossible!" Sinestro exclaimed.

"No." Hal smiled grimly as his green ray ate through more and more of Sinestro's yellow beam. "It's will."

Hal drew back his ring hand and solidified his will for the final push. Green light streamed forward, completely overtaking Sinestro in a blinding eruption that momentarily shone brighter than the sun.

When the dust settled, it was plain to see that Sinestro had finally been soundly defeated. Just to be certain, Hal flew over to the dazed Yellow Lantern and rendered him unconscious with a single, swift punch. Sinestro went down like a sack of bricks, only to be caught by Hal just before he crashed into the ground.

Letting the limp Korugarian collapse into a heap, Hal reached over and removed Sinestro's ring, separating the master of fear from the source of his power with extreme satisfaction.

Today, at least, will reigned supreme.

"Hal!"

Hal turned to see his former League teammates running up to him. Flash, naturally, reached him first. The speedster promptly pulled his friend into a bear hug.

"You idiot. You could have been killed."

"What else is new?" Hal pulled away and acknowledged the other Leaguers — Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Vixen — with a nod at each of them. When he came to John, he paused, then strode forward and extended his arm.

"Hal Jordan."

John eyed his outstretched hand for a few seconds before he shook it resolutely. "John Stewart."

"Good to meet you, John." Hal took off his ring and held it out to his successor. "I believe this belongs to you."

John accepted the ring with a contemplative expression. "Maybe. Unless you want it back?" He arched an eyebrow.

Hal huffed ruefully. "I wish, but I'm afraid I lost my right to it when I resigned from the Corps. Besides," he said sincerely, "it suits you."

"Thanks." John slid the ring back onto his finger. "And thanks for dealing with Sinestro. That yellow ring of his is a pain in the ass."

"Yes, well…" Hal handed over said yellow ring. "Be sure to keep it away from him, wherever he's locked up."

"Yeah, I'll make that _real_ clear to the blue midgets." John looked Hal up and down, seemingly still trying to make up his mind about the man who had been Green Lantern before him.

Hal, however, was impatient to be elsewhere. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I got someone who really needs me."

Without another word, he took off running. He found Zatanna and Doctor Fate easily enough — they had taken shelter in a nearby shaded laneway to tend to Carol. Barely able to suppress his frantic worry, he all but leapt towards them. Carol was still unconscious, her front soaked scarlet.

"Oh my God, Carol…" He collapsed next to her. _Not like this, please. Please. Not again._ Tears blurred his vision, but he furiously blinked them away and stared pleadingly at Doctor Fate. "Tell me you can fix this."

"It will not be easy —" Doctor Fate began.

"No, dammit, you have to fix it!"

"I _have_ , Hal," Fate stressed.

Hal stopped. "What?"

"As I was saying," the sorcerer continued, "it will not be easy, but Carol will eventually make a full recovery."

Hal let out such a large breath of relief he felt nearly light-headed. "She'll be fine? She's gonna be okay?"

"It will take some time. The wound was serious, and even magic cannot heal all — especially when the damage was done by hard light."

"But she'll be fine?" Hal insisted.

"Yes, Hal," Fate assured him.

Hal finally dared to look closely at the blood covering Carol's front, and he winced. "She's still bleeding…"

"That's blood from the initial wound, before Fate closed it up," Zatanna explained.

Hal looked amazed. "You _closed_ her wound?"

"With great effort, yes. And I wouldn't have been able to without Zatanna helping to keep her in stasis long enough for me to do so."

"That's just…I…" Hal swallowed. " _Thank you_ ," he said feelingly. "Thank you, both of you."

"You're welcome," said Zatanna. "She still lost a lot of blood, even with the stasis field — and we couldn't heal all the internal damage. She's going to be feeling this for a while."

"It's fortunate she was able to earn her ring before Sinestro attacked her," Doctor Fate commented. "It seems being Queen of the Star Sapphires grants some protection from hard light constructs. Had her aura not softened the blow, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Christ," Hal muttered, struck cold by how close he'd come to losing her. He shuddered and resolved to put that out of his mind. She was going to be fine.  
He took Carol's hand in his, his gaze falling to the violet ring on her finger. When he brushed his thumb across it, marvelling how similar and yet how different it was from a Green Lantern ring, it emitted a soft glow and transformed Carol's Star Sapphire outfit into her regular clothes. There was no longer any blood to be seen.

"Is there going to be a debrief?"

"Most probably," Doctor Fate replied. "Batman or Flash will be in touch, I'm sure."

"All right." Hal gently picked up Carol, carrying her bridal style. "But for now, I'm taking her home."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Review, please! It helps to remind me to update on time ;)**_


	24. Star Sapphire's Love

_**A/N: Thanks to** PredaconWyvern **and** Bluebell20 **for reviewing the last chapter. Here's the next one!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Star Sapphire's Love**  
 _October 2004_

Hal chucked his keys on the counter and peered into his meagerly-stocked pantry, hoping to unearth something he could whip up for dinner.

 _I really need to get some groceries._

The last two weeks had been rather hectic. What with his most recent U.S.A.F. assignment (testing a bunch of different military-grade planes from different aviation companies to find a replacement for the Peregrine), taking care of Carol as she recuperated, and covering for her to her father, colleagues — and _Hector Hammond_ , of all people — as to _why_ she needed recuperating, he'd hardly had any time to himself. He'd also had to endure two long meetings on the Watchtower — one to debrief after the fiasco in Coast City, and one to discuss the crystallized men situation. Batman had been quite adamant that he let them know as soon as Carol was recovered enough to free them, given that she owned the only Star Sapphire ring available to them for this very purpose; Hal, while empathetic towards the trapped males — particularly J'onn and Zatara — was just as immovable from his position that he would not push Carol to do so until she was good and ready. Things had gotten a bit heated and he and Batman were still unhappy with each other (it didn't help that Bruce still harbored some animus towards Hal about what he saw as a dereliction of duty to the League). Between all of that, Hal had had sporadic visits from John Stewart, who was keeping him appraised of the situation on Oa: Sinestro had been locked up in the highest-security sciencell beneath the citadel, on the other side of the planet from his yellow ring, where — along with the first one — it was under investigation by Salaak and Kilowog; Katma Tui had been dispatched to Zamaron to find out more about the Star Sapphire Corps; and apparently the Guardians were looking into reorganising the structure of the Green Lantern Corps.

All this had not left Hal much time for domestic affairs; consequently, his house was in dire need of some cleaning and his food supplies were dangerously low. Hal was resigning himself to having a meal of eggs and beans — hardly a filling repast after a day of flights — when the doorbell rang. He jogged over to answer, reflecting wryly that the thing had certainly seen a lot of use lately — so many people had dropped by his house, and done so frequently, in the last few months.

Outside stood Carol, holding up Chinese takeout and a six-pack of beers and wearing a slightly bashful smile. "Mind if I bribe my way in?"

Hal laughed warmly and took the items off her hands, ignoring her protests about it as he stepped aside to let her enter.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he busied himself getting out their dinner. He cracked open two beers and passed one to Carol before checking the contents of the takeout boxes. Carol had gotten him his favourite — Hong Kong fried rice and five-spiced pork.

"All right, I guess. I'm still getting used to the scar." Even Doctor Fate's formidable magic could not erase that visible reminder of her near-fatal injury — and even if she'd had the choice, Hal felt Carol would have told Fate to leave it.

"What about internally?" Hal placed their takeout on the countertop and rummaged in a drawer for cutlery.

"Still sore. But much better than it was."

"That's good. It'll probably be another couple of weeks before you're completely back to yourself."

Carol made a face. "Remind me never to get stabbed again."

"Please don't. Seriously." Hal took his seat next to her at the countertop. "I don't think I could handle that again."

Carol's gaze softened. "You and me both," she agreed. She nudged Hal's chopsticks with her own. "Come on, eat before it gets cold. The serious stuff will keep till after dessert."

"You brought dessert too?" Hal said with delight.

"Why do you think I brought six beers?"

They kept the conversation light as they ate, simply enjoying being in each other's company. It had been far too long since they'd spent time together like this — no tension, quarrels, or romantic expectations, just two people who cared very much for each other. Hal was almost sorry when dinner was over and the empty takeout boxes were in the bin and they had to address the several elephants in the room.

"So…." He trailed off. This was the part he'd never been good at.

"So," Carol echoed. "What do you want to start with?"

Hal made a vague gesture with his hands. "Um…Star Sapphire?"

Carol sighed, but she'd more or less expected that he'd start with the least emotionally-charged issue they had to discuss. "All right, Star Sapphire. What about her?"

"Are you keeping the ring?"

Carol fidgeted with the finger where her violet ring was, currently invisible. "I don't know. I'd _like_ to, I think — after everything I went through to get the damn thing — but…it's a heavy responsibility."

"Don't I know it," Hal muttered.

"Why didn't you keep _your_ ring?" she asked.

"It doesn't belong to me anymore. It's John's now." He felt a strange pang as he acknowledged that. He'd given it up, but reclaiming it for that brief time to fight Sinestro had made him feel whole for the first time since Sinestro's trial. Giving it back to John had been a wrench — he felt empty without it.

Carol seemed to realize this. "If it chose you again, would you take it back? Become Green Lantern again?"

His reply was instant. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it feels — felt — right." Hal exhaled. "When I first got the ring, I didn't have much choice in the matter. It basically kidnapped me and I was told I was a Green Lantern and then thrown into training. Then Parallax and all the other stuff happened, and the League was founded, and it's just been one thing after another ever since. I never really had a chance to think about what life would've been like if the ring hadn't come to me."

"Easier," Carol said at once. "Less complicated. Less perilous."

"Definitely. But…emptier, too. Not as fulfilling, or meaningful…" Hal sighed. "When I resigned from the Corps, I was in a bad place," he confided. "I'd lost so much, and I didn't feel worthy anymore — and I sure as hell wasn't up to facing a Yellow Lantern with a murderous grudge against me. So I quit. But it wasn't because I'd actually thought it through and decided that was what I really wanted — it was because I didn't want to have to deal with it all. Life with the ring is…hard, and exhausting, and stressful. But I'd be lying if I said I haven't missed being Green Lantern everyday since I gave it up — I guess I'd taken it for granted, the whole time I'd had it. And — this is gonna sound silly — but when I put it on again that day, _it…welcomed_ me. It was like coming home after a long time away."

"It doesn't sound silly." Carol remembered her own welcome from her ring — remembered feeling like she had found her exact place in the universe, like she _belonged_ to something bigger than she was.

Hal smiled at her before continuing, "When the ring chose me, I saw it as a duty — another mission that had been assigned to me, and I was obliged to carry it out. I had no idea what I was getting into. Becoming Green Lantern that day to fight Sinestro, to protect you — that was _my_ choice. _My_ decision. And I think that's what made it right — how I found the strength of will to confront everything I'd been hiding away from…because now I knew exactly what bearing the ring entailed, and I decided I wanted it."

"You chose the ring for yourself, instead of just being chosen by the ring," Carol surmised.

"Exactly." Hal nodded. "The irony is that I've truly claimed my ring when it's no longer mine to claim. John's a good Lantern — he deserves to hold the ring."

"So do you, Hal," Carol said gently, covering his hand with hers.

Hal shook his head wistfully. "There's only one Green Lantern per sector. I won't usurp John's position just because I've finally pulled my head out of my ass."

"Sometimes you have to lose something to really appreciate it." Carol was fiddling with her ring again; it was visible now. "Do you think I should keep it?"

Hal eyed the Star Sapphire insignia on the violet band. "Seems to me like it's chosen you already. The question is, do _you_ choose it?"

"I want to," she confessed. "It's…I understand love so much better now. I understand myself more. It's like Star Sapphire's filled a hole in my heart."

"But?" Hal prodded.

"But I'm not just _any_ Star Sapphire — I'm _queen._ I don't even know what that's supposed to involve," she fretted.

"If it's anything like the Green Lantern clarissi, it's a fairly hands-off position most of the time — unless there's a crisis. Most Green Lanterns are pretty independent, and I'd bet the Star Sapphires are too, if they can carry on without a queen for months until the contest is decided. Though I don't know if you'd be the ultimate authority or whether you'd report to anyone like we do."

"Queen is queen. I lead the Star Sapphire Corps." Carol groaned. "I haven't even met any of them. I'm supposed to go to Zamaron to be inaugurated or whatever. It usually happens right after the queen wins her contest, but thanks to Sinestro…"

"Yeah." Hal added, "You should go. To Zamaron. Not now, obviously — but soon, when you're up to it. Don't make a decision until you do."

"Right," Carol agreed.

"There is _one_ question I'm hoping you can answer, though."

"What?"

"How did you know I was Green Lantern?"

Carol looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure…I remember running into you a couple times as Star Sapphire — like that time with Doctor Polaris, but I didn't know you were Green Lantern then. I think I knew by the time you told me you'd resigned, though — I remember being upset about that."

"You were," he acknowledged, "but how _did_ you find out?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't like a sudden realization or anything, more of a gradual conclusion from a few different factors. I can't really pinpoint anything in particular. Magically-enhanced perception from the Star Sapphire gem…the fact that you were so torn up about Ace…how Green Lantern disappeared and you were suddenly around a lot more often…Hector hinting that someone we know could be Green Lantern —"

" _What?_ " exclaimed Hal.

Carol paused, her eyes widening. "Crap. I think he knows, Hal. When we had dinner the other day, he was talking about his work — he deals with metahumans a lot, apparently, and they had him on the Star Sapphire case — shit, he might even know _I'm_ Star Sapphire."

Hal's mind flashed back to his own chat about metabeings with Hector — years ago, it seemed — the day of Sinestro's ill-fated trial. His spine tingled. Hector was not exactly favorable in his opinion of supervillains or superheroes — if he knew Hal and Carol were part of that community, what would he do with the information?

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he decided. "We'll just have to be careful around him. Or, _you_ will, if you decide to keep Star Sapphire."

"Thanks," Carol said sarcastically.

"What's next?" Hal asked.

"Us."

Hal winced.

"You knew it was coming, Hal. Where do we stand?" Carol's question was blunt and to the point. Hal had no room to evade, not anymore.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I mean, I know how I feel about you —"

"And how _do_ you feel about me?"

"Come on, Carol, you know that — you're an expert on it now, aren't you?"

"Hal, I need to hear you say it." Her blue eyes were locked on his, intent, fervent, and Hal couldn't look away.

"I love you," he said passionately. "God, Carol — I love you with everything I have. When Sinestro hurt you, I —"

"I love you too," Carol replied. "As deeply as it is possible to love someone — and Star Sapphire proved that. But is that enough?"

"No," Hal said at once. "It's not. If it was, we wouldn't be as screwed up as we are. We'd be — I dunno — engaged or something."

"So why _are_ we screwed up?" Carol pressed, ignoring his feeble attempts to make a joke. "What's our problem?"

Hal snorted disbelievingly. "You mean _problems,_ plural. And we have a bunch."

"Like what?"

"Like me not being there for you when you need me. Like Green Lantern taking up time I should be putting into our relationship. Like me always having to lie or hide things from you."

"You're not Green Lantern anymore," Carol pointed out. "And unless you've been hiding or lying about something else that doesn't involve cosmic ring-related matters, we can scratch that off the list too."

"What do you want me to say, Carol?" he demanded. "Me being Green Lantern was a huge part of why we crashed and burned so hard —"

"Our problems existed long before you got the damn ring, Hal," she snapped.

"Sure, but the ring sure as hell didn't help — in fact, it made things _worse."_ Hal deflated. "Look, Carol, I know I'm the one to blame, all right? I'm not expecting or asking for another chance. I think our ship has sailed."

"Do you really believe that?"

The question hung in the air, a plea and a direct challenge all in one. Carol's expression was vulnerable, full of understanding, heartbreak, and disappointment; it tugged painfully on Hal's heartstrings, making him wish he could sweep her into a hug and kiss it all better.

"Carol, I…" He swallowed, unable to find the words. "I don't know if talking about that possibility is going to accomplish anything."

"That, right there, is one of our major issues," declared Carol. "You prefer to avoid conversations like this. When we need to talk about difficult things, and complex emotions — you don't tend to stick around for it. You ignore them or you deflect my attempts to talk about them. And then they fester because we haven't dealt with them. Like how we still haven't talked about our fight in my office."

"I already said I know it's my fault —"

"Stop that. You're not the only one at fault, Hal. It takes two to tango." Carol took a swig of her beer. "Yes, you haven't always been there for me. But I haven't always been there for you either. There's a huge part of your life that I wasn't privy to — and you're right, that _doesn't_ help. I don't blame you for not telling me you were Green Lantern — not exactly — but it hurts that you didn't, that you kept something so important from me."

"Carol…"

"Let me talk, Hal," she said firmly. "I need to get this out. Look, I get why you didn't tell me about Green Lantern — if the situation were reversed, I'm not sure I would tell you about Star Sapphire either — but understanding your decision doesn't mean I automatically stop being hurt by it. Maybe it's unreasonable, but humans are complicated — and we're more complicated than most.

"That aside, Green Lantern wasn't our only obstacle. We're both focused on our career. We both put more time and effort into our respective careers than into maintaining our relationship. We have _both_ not been there for each other when we needed to be. And we haven't talked — really talked — about what our future would be, together or apart. We've just been living in the present, not bothering about what we want from the future or how we'd even get there. We were in limbo, Hal. If we were in a good place, we'd be together. If we weren't, we called it off. But we never stopped to think about what could happen if we persistently stayed together, or if we couldn't get back together after yet another breakup. We took each other for granted. It can't go on like that. One way or another, we have to make a decision."

"I know," Hal agreed heavily. "Which is why I think —"

"Shut up, Hal, I'm not done." Carol took a breath. "Listen, us staying together is _hard._ And we're both guilty of not trying enough — of calling it off when it gets too tough. Like you did when you quit the Corps. Like I did when I told myself I didn't want to care about you anymore. We took each other for granted. But it's like what you said about Green Lantern, Hal — being together feels _right._ And I think we've learned some things about making the hard choices."

"What are you saying, Carol?"

"I'm saying that life is too damned short for love to be denied. Love alone isn't enough — but if we love each other, then we have to be willing to do what it takes to keep that love alive. Being Star Sapphire has opened my eyes to so many things. The love that we have — Hal, something like that doesn't happen often. It's special. It needs to be cherished. It _deserves_ to live and grow." Carol's blue eyes seemed almost to have a violet glow to them as she locked her gaze onto his.

"If you really believe that we can't grow anymore together, I will let you go. That's part of love. We'll both walk away and finally move on. But if you think — like I do — that there's at least a chance we can make it work, and you want to try…I want to try, Hal. And I mean really, truly try — no more of this half-hearted, one foot in, option-to-escape-and-come-back-when-things-are-easier stuff — I mean actual commitment, working through our issues — _mmf_!"

Hal had abruptly closed the distance between them to latch his lips onto hers. His fingers twined in in her hair, his mouth moved urgently against hers, and he was kissing her like it was the first and last kiss they would ever share. After a stunned second, Carol responded equally as passionately, wrapping her arms around him to hold him as close as humanly possible while her violet aura suffused them. She poured all her emotions into that aura, into their kiss — all her incredible love, painful heartbreak, desperate resolve, and tentative hope.

Carol had no idea how long the kiss lasted, but when they drew back for air and the violet light faded, Hal rested his forehead against hers and murmured earnestly, "I love you. And if you want this — if you want _us_ — I'll try. I don't know if I'll be enough, but I promise I'll give it my all — I'm not running anymore, Carol. I _love_ you."

"Hal."

"What?"

"Stop talking."

And she kissed him again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Only one more to go after this! I'm still working on the final chapter, so please bear with me. I'm a working adult now, which means less time to write - but I promise, this story WILL be finished soon. In the meantime, I look forward to your reviews!**_


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